Reunion
by laibballfan
Summary: Bella has been out of high school for five years. She's divorced and broken-hearted. What happens when she reunites with her friends from high school for the first time in ten years. Rated M for later chapters. I don't own any characters!
1. Invitation

_**Chapter 1**_

"_You're Invited to_

_Forks High School_

_For your Five-Year Class Reunion_

_Time: 7pm_

_Date: July 15__th_

_Place: Forks High School Gymnasium_

_Be there to share relive the memories and share new stories"_

The invitation slipped through my fingers as I walked back to my house. I bent down to pick it back up and reread it. It's been three years since I've been back to Forks. I missed Charlie, but I've never been able to bring myself back to that town. There were just too many bad memories. Some of the worst since high school.

Six Years Ago

Jacob and I sat in my truck. Jacob had finally warmed me up from my disastrous cliff diving event that afternoon. I looked up at him and realized how comfortable I was when I was with Jacob. The voice in my head, Edward's voice, was telling me to be happy. I saw him look down at me, smile, and slowly he bent his warm, red lips to mine. He kissed me, and I kissed back. It was nice, not like the kisses with Edward, but nice nonetheless. We spent a long time kissing and holding each other in my truck that night. I couldn't believe I was letting myself feel this way again, but at least I knew Jacob cared for me.

Charlie came home shortly after that, and found us that way. My cheeks remained crimson that evening as Jacob and Charlie teased me about the make-out session. Charlie couldn't stop his goofy grin, despite the funeral. I remember going to sleep that night and looking out the window. I swear I saw a dark Mercedes on the street, but I'd given up that _they_ would ever return.

A month passed until the pack was able to capture Victoria. That day I had been on the beach. I was waiting for Jacob to finish patrolling. I heard two wolf howls in the distance. Each time I heard that sound my heart would stop. I looked up and saw the fiery red on the water. The red was so familiar and I realized with paralyzing fear that Victoria was swimming towards me. I froze. I was going to die on that beach, the same place I first learned about the forbidden world of vampires and werewolves.

Victoria was about ten feet before me when I saw a flash of burnt red fly passed my head. I screamed when I realized that Jacob was fighting Victoria. Soon my screams were masked by the enormous brawl before me. Sam and the others arrived quickly and helped Jacob finish Victoria off. I remember seeing Jacob's smug face after the fight. He held me close as we watched the purple smoke filter up to the clouds above.

We were inseparable after that. I mean, he saved my life, I owed him so much more than I could ever give. We spent a year dating, much to the dismay of Mike Newton. (I giggle a little when I remember his face the day he found out Jacob proposed to me) Jacob proposed after a very romantic dinner on the beach under the stars. They were some of the first stars I'd seen since moving to Washington. I remember being hesitant about marriage, but realized that Jacob did in fact love me, and I him. Charlie was ecstatic and fatherly at the same time. Renee wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted me to be happy but she always had her doubts.

We were married in a quiet ceremony behind Charlie's house with just a few friends. We danced, ate, and enjoyed our time together. We said sad good-byes before heading to Jake's car and to our honeymoon. Again, I swear I saw a silver Volvo speed around the corner that night, but quickly shook that thought from my mind. We went on a wonderful honeymoon and returned to La Push where we had a warm home and life ahead of us.

After about two years of a blissful marriage (who knew I could actually be that happy) Jacob and I had settled into a comfortable routine. He would patrol, but not as often since the threat was gone. He supported me as I went to school and tried my hand at homemaking. Everything was wonderful. Jacob ran an automotive repair shop on our property, and life was treating us well. Then, Michelle came into our lives.

Michelle's car broke down late at night. She was sweet and on her way to her family when her car suddenly stopped working. The tow truck brought her and her car to the garage. Jacob was out patrolling with Sam and Embry that evening, so I answered the door. She seemed so scared to be out late and alone. I invited her into the kitchen to get something warm to eat and drink.

"I really don't know much about cars, but my husband is amazing. He can fix anything. I'm sure he'll have you driving in practically no time." I told her.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I'm going to do tonight, do you have a phone book so I can get a hotel room and a cab?" she asked.

"Honey, you can stay with us, I'll have Jake working on that car first thing tomorrow. We'll get you all taken care of."

I showed her to our guest room that I had made up for Renee and Phil when they visited us. She was sleepy and quickly fell asleep that night. About an hour after she went to bed, Jacob returned.

"Honey, I'm home. Did you miss me?" he asked.

"Of course. There's a nice young woman here with her broken-down car. She had nowhere else to stay so she's in the guest room. I told her that you could get to her car tomorrow. I hope that's all right." I told him.

"Absolutely. It gives me something to work on while you're taking your finals. Speaking of which, you should get a good night's sleep so you are rested for them," he teased.

We went to bed that night. I woke before him and headed to school. I finished my two finals by noon and decided to pick up lunch for Jacob on my way home. I was pulling into the garage when I saw Jake's face. He had the strangest look in his eyes. I chalked it up to his fatigue and headed into the house. After a few minutes, I heard him come into the house. He hugged me as soon as I turned around and that was when I saw the tears in his eyes.

"Jake, what's wrong?!" I screamed.

"Bells, we - I - Can we take a walk, please?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Yeah, sure! We haven't been to the beach in so long."

I grabbed my coat and we headed out. We reached our tree before too long and before I could even sit he started sobbing. I reached out to him and hoped that I could comfort him. Suddenly he jerked back away from me.

"Bells, I never thought… I just… I've been so happy with you," he sobbed.

"Jacob, what's wrong. You're really scaring me here," I pleaded

"Bella, I love you, you have to know that." He stared into my eyes with panic. By now my heart was beating so fast I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

"Jacob, tell me what's wrong, please," I whispered.

"Bella, I… I… I was working on Michelle's car this morning. It was a pretty simple thing to fix. I came back into the house to let her know she would be able to leave within a few hours, and…" he stared at the pebbles beneath our feet. "The moment I saw her, I understood what Sam was talking about. That moment, the split second when he first saw Emily…"

I stood up and started running. I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun him, but I needed to get away. I didn't want to break down in front of him. He imprinted. He would be leaving me. He would go to be with Michelle. I was spun around quickly and held in a warm iron grip

"I never wanted to hurt you Bella! I swear it, I've never wanted anyone but you. You have to believe me. I love you, but, I just can't explain. Michelle. She's my match. Oh God Bella! Why do I have to hurt you too. You deserve so much better." His voice was on the edge of panic.

I looked up at him, kissed his cheek and removed my wedding ring. "Be happy Jacob. She's your match. I'll be fine. I've survived worse," I told him.

I got back to the house, packed my things, and got into my truck. I drove to Charlie's in the hope that I could stay one night with my father. I wasn't going to stay in Forks. I couldn't do that again. Charlie didn't ask questions, surprisingly, but refused to believe that my marriage had ended, just like his and Renee's.

The next morning I kissed Charlie's cheek, packed all my belongings into the truck and drove away. I was in Seattle by nightfall. I drove to a motel until I could find a place to live. It took a few days, but I found an apartment and a job to pay for it. I became a waitress at night and during the day worked at a small newspaper as a copy editor.

Present

I had skipped the five-year reunion. Besides Angela and Ben (and sometimes Mike) I really didn't have anyone I wanted to see again. However, I just couldn't throw the invitation away when I returned to the kitchen. I made dinner for myself that night thinking about what would happen if I went to the reunion and back to Forks for the event. I spent all evening thinking about it and finally went to bed after making the decision to attend the reunion. I figured it would be nice to see my father and Angela and Ben had a new baby. I missed them and wanted to see them. Like my other decisions, once I had made up my mind, it was done.

That night, I dreamed about Edward Cullen for the first time in almost 5 years.


	2. The Assignment

**A/N: I Do not own any of the characters. Read and Review please**

_I was dancing. Dancing in circles with Edward. After the one dance, he stopped suddenly, looked at me, and turned away. He didn't speak, although I cried out for him to not leave me. I ran out the door to follow him and found myself in a familiar-looking forest. I was searching for him but only found trees and wilderness. I woke screaming when I realized it was like my dream from junior year. Just after he left, before Jacob. Jacob, I missed him, but there was no sense dwelling on the past._

I dressed quickly for work. I was supposed to report to the paper in an hour. My new editor was wicked. He seemed to take pleasure in torturing me. He sent me on pointless errands. I've submitted many pieces of my writing to him, but he only seemed to be interested in making my life miserable. If only he knew…

Work today consisted of more of the same. We had a staff meeting this morning. I went on my mega coffee run and set up the board room just the way Mr. Smith wanted it. He came into the room early. I think he does this to throw the staff off their game. He sat at the head of the table and waited. When a staff reporter would enter the room, he'd check his watch and sigh heavily. It was almost like watching a bear toy with his food. I sat in a corner watching the meeting. Because I planned on taking a few weeks off for the reunion, I wasn't expecting to be given any major assignments this week. I had two more days until I would leave Seattle to spend time with friends and Charlie.

"BELLA! Wake up. Here's your chance at a real story. A human interest piece if you will. I want you to write about your experience when you return home for the first time in many years. Are you planning on seeing your ex-husband?" he asked.

"I… I… I wasn't planning on it. I was planning on seeing my friends from school and my father," I mumbled.

"Well plan on it. I want to know, which means our readers want to know, what it's like going home again, seeing your old school, and that high school flame that fizzled out," He spat out.

I couldn't believe it. I was getting my first assignment and he wanted me to go home to hang out with my ex-husband. Oh sure, I could write about it. How my husband and I broke up because he's a werewolf and he imprinted on a strange girl that he just met one day. Oh yeah, I can tell that this was going to be fun.

I was driving in my new Ford Focus listening to the radio. Sometime in the last five years, I've gone back to listening to the radio. Maybe it was because I was in a new car, a car without any memories of my two loves-lost. I was lost in the lyrics of a up-tempo 80s tune when I noticed a yellow Porsche in my mirror. It quickly went around me and I immediately thought the driver must be an idiot. They were driving way to fast to be sane. I noticed two other cars following the Porsche, also driving way to fast. One of them was a silver Volvo.

I pulled into the driveway in front of Charlie's house. His cruiser wasn't there. I was early. I thought it would be a great surprise if I went inside and cooked him dinner, just like old times. I unlocked the door with the spare key and stepped into a familiar looking room. My pictures were back in the living room. There were my old school pictures of course, but beside them was my wedding picture. I was looking at Jacob with loving eyes and a big smile that was partially covered by wedding cake smeared across my face. Jacob was looking down at me with love in his eyes and an equal amount of cake on his cheek.

I sighed and set my bags on the stairs. I went to the kitchen and realized that Charlie had been living of fast food for a while now. It looked like the stove hadn't been used for more than scrambled eggs in years. I turned back to the stairs and picked up my bags. I climbed the stairs quickly and went up to my room. It's nice to know that some things don't change over the years. Charlie has never changed my room besides switching the crib for a bed. I set my bags on the bed and returned downstairs. I went back outside to my car. I was going to go grocery shopping so that I could make dinner for Charlie, not just tonight, but for the duration of my stay. It was the least I could do since he was saving me the expense of paying for a hotel.

I made my way to the Thriftway and located a variety of ingredients that would get me through a few days of dinner and possibly lunch with Charlie. I was standing in the checkout when a young girl ran up to me. She was apparently hiding from her parents. I bent down to chat with her.

"Hi! I'm Megan! You're pretty," she said with a big grin.

"Megan! How dare you run aw.." I heard the familiar voice.

I looked up to see Emily and Sam standing just ten feet from me. Their faces froze when they recognized me. Emily was first to acknowledge me.

"Bella? Bella, how are you? It's been so long," Emily said as she pulled me into a soft, hesitant hug.

"Emily? Sam? Wow you guys look the same, and I see you have added to your family since I left. She's adorable," I stammered out.

Sam looked at me with a pained expression. It looked familiar, but I didn't understand why seeing me would cause him pain. He gave me a gentle hug as well and looked into my eyes as he told me, "We miss you around here Bella."

I quickly filled them in on why I had returned to Forks and how long I was staying. I finished the conversation as the cashier finished ringing the order. I paid for the groceries and turned back to them. I told them I hoped they were well and I hoped to see them again. I walked out the door and didn't breathe a sigh of relief until I reached my car. I loaded the food into the trunk and drove back to Charlie's

I was in the middle of making dinner when I heard the familiar sound of Charlie's cruiser pull into the driveway. I turned the burner down and went to meet him at the front door. He burst through the door like a kid on Christmas. He didn't even bother to shut the door as he pulled me into a humungous hug. The hug lasted longer than any other embrace we'd shared.

"Bella, I missed you!" he said. "It's been too long since you've been home."

"I missed you too, Dad. I see that you haven't taught yourself to cook yet," I joked.

"Well, I guess I kept hoping you'd come back and take care of me," he mused.

"Well I got some groceries today and you are going to have a nice dinner tonight."

We went back to the kitchen and he watched as I finished dinner. I made chicken alfredo with steamed broccoli. I served us a plate each and sat down at the small table. We ate in a comfortable silence for awhile. Eventually I told him about my assignment to cover the reunion and my editor's twisted plot consisting of me being around Jacob. I didn't tell Charlie that I had run into Emily and Sam today, but he seemed to sense that I wasn't looking forward to seeing that part of my past.

I gathered the dishes and placed them in the sink. I washed up as Charlie headed to the living room to catch the game. The phone rang after a few minutes. I heard Charlie answer the phone. I also heard him immediately lower his voice when he heard who was on the other side of the line.

"No, she's here. She's doing well," he explained to whoever. He listened for a while before answering again.

"No, I don't think that would be a great idea. I don't care! She's not going to get hurt again. She's been through too much and she deserves better!" he almost screamed into the phone before listening to the caller once again. The caller had him turning purple before too long.

"Well you can tell him that if he comes near my daughter that he'll have to get through a restraining order. He hurt her and this is the first time she's been able to come back for even a visit. Tell him to leave her alone!" he screamed as he slammed the phone down.

By now I realized it must have been Billy on the phone. Billy must have talked to Sam by now, and was calling to see if I was planning on seeing Jake. Or maybe he was calling to say Jake wanted to visit me. Either way, I wasn't going to get Charlie more worked up tonight. I kissed the top of his head and went up to bed.

That night, I dreamed about Jacob. He was chasing me through the woods. I was running and desperately trying not to trip on roots sticking up and every corner it seemed. I looked back as he chased me and ran into a brick wall. Only, it wasn't a wall. It was Edward.

I woke up breathing heavily and in a cold sweat. That was when I noticed my window was open.


	3. Dreamin' of You

**A/N: I am not the talented Ms. Meyer, but this story is all my own.**

I walked over to the window and slammed it shut. I know it sounds silly but I looked out the window. I don't know what I was hoping to see. Did I want to see a vampire, a werewolf, nothing but the nature that surrounded the house? I looked up to the sky and stared at the clouds as I calmed my frazzled nerves. I concentrated on breathing deeply and thinking about nothing in particular.

I returned to the bed when my heart rate had returned to normal. I laid back down and hoped to find a dreamless sleep for the remainder of the evening. What I found was a dream that surprised and intoxicated me.

_I was in a large room with a king-size bed in the center. There were blood red satin sheets and a black satin comforter on the bed. The room was painted midnight blue. I walked quietly into the room. On one wall was bookshelves. From floor to ceiling, wall to wall, every inch was covered in books. I was about to walk over to examine the collection when the opposite wall caught my attention. I saw that the wall opposite the books was covered with Cds. It was Edward's collection. There were a few Cds added to his collection that I had told him about once upon a time. There were windows along the back wall, just like the Cullen house here in Forks. Opposite the windows was the black, plush couch. Sitting on the couch was Edward. He looked thinner if that was possible. _

_I walked to where he sat. I sat silently beside him. He looked up at me. He smiled at me and it gave me shivers up my spine. The shivers weren't from fear, they were from him. I missed him. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to make me weak in the knees, to touch me where I've only been touched by one other man. I leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. His eyes turned dark instantly. He leaned towards me and kissed my lips deeply. He kissed me until I had to break apart to breathe. My breath was heavy and husky, but his lips never left my skin, my neck, my collarbone, my shoulder. He reached out to me and picked me up as he carried me to the bed. He set me gently down onto the bed. He unbuttoned my blouse slowly. As he unbuttoned me, I reached out and touched his bare chest. I didn't notice until now that he was only in jeans, and those hung painfully low on his hips._

_He places chaste kisses where each button held the shirt closed until the last button was undone. He slowly opened my shirt to reveal my black lace bra underneath. If it was possible, his eyes got only darker and larger as he took in my figure. I reached out to his pants and unbuttoned and unzipped them. I began to push them down, about to answer the infamous question (boxers or briefs) when I realized that Edward wasn't wearing anything under his jeans._

_Immediately, an ache started to throb between my thighs and I began to feel my juices flow out from the confines of my panties. I pushed his jeans further down to reveal his god-like figure. He was fully aroused and climbed out of his jeans without much more assistance from myself. Within an instance, my jeans and panties were shreds on the floor. Edward had removed the last remaining material from my body. He stared longingly at my form until suddenly, with vampire speed, he was on top of me. He sucked and massaged my breasts until my nipples felt they would explode with my core. He played with me until my body shuddered with my climax. _

_Edward whispered into my ear, "Are you ready?"_

_I moaned his name and begged him to stop teasing me. He jammed his engorged shaft into me. I began to feel my buildup begin. He kept thrusting and thrusting until my heart and body felt they would explode. I was about to release when_

_I woke up… _

I was breathing heavily and realized the my pajama bottoms and panties were soaked through. I pulled the covers back and grabbed my bathroom things. I headed to the bathroom to take a cold shower.


	4. What Might Have Been

**A/N: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, but this story is mine. Please read and review. I'll update when I get a bunch of reviews. :)**

I left that morning figuring I'd get the hardest part of this trip over with. Besides I needed to get my mind off that dream. Off Edward. Off Edward and I in bed… I began breathing harder as I thought about the things Edward did to me in my dream. How he was hard for me and how he thrust into me…

I pulled over to the side of the road to calm myself from my thoughts. I settled on thinking about Jacob. I wondered how his life has turned out in the last three years. Did I really want this Michelle to have my Jacob? Did I want them to be happy? Happy like Sam and Emily?

I resumed driving to La Push. I found the familiar roads slightly haunting. Like there was something missing from the drive. I realized that what was missing was the life I had when I would drive these roads. The life I had with Jacob. My heart began to ache slightly, but I forced that feeling to the side when I thought how Michelle was his match, his soul mate. She was the one he would be truly happy with. I felt a twinge of jealousy but hoped that I could show Jacob that I was truly happy for him.

I drove to the garage figuring that I would be able to find Jake there. When I put the car in park I took a deep breath and looked up through the windshield. There was Jake, looking under the hood of a pick up truck. I got out of my car and quietly closed the door. My heart was racing as I walked up to my best friend, my ex-husband. He was talking with the owner of the truck when I tapped him on his shoulder. He spun around obviously surprised. His face registered who I was and he picked me up and spun me around as he crushed me against him in a warm hug.

He set me down and excused us from the truck owner. His eyes were bright and his smile was infectious. I couldn't help but relax when he was near me. We didn't do anything but stare at one another for a few minutes. Taking in everything about him I could in the silence I realized that it was the right decision to let him be with her, not with me. In the end, it was me that broke the silence.

"So, you look good Jake," I said with a smile.

"Sam told me you were back. I was hoping that I'd get to see you, if only to make sure you were alright," he said. "I've missed talking with you," he added quietly.

"I've missed you too, Jacob. But you know why I couldn't call or visit. I knew you needed the time with Michelle," I mumbled.

Jacob sighed, but didn't say anything for a bit. Then suddenly that infectious smile of his caught my eyes and he said the words that I subconsciously wanted to hear, "Let's go for a walk."

"You know Jake, the last time I took a walk with you, our marriage ended. And yet, I'm glad to be going on this walk. Why do you think that is?" I asked him curiously.

"I have no idea. I never understood fully what Sam went through when he imprinted on Emily and was with Leah. I knew he felt bad that he hurt Leah, but I never understood it fully. Then it happened to me. I'm so sorry Bell. I never wanted to hurt you that way," he pleaded.

"Jake…" I paused. How do you tell someone that "you're over it"? "Jacob, I forgive you. I know that you wouldn't have hurt me if it was your choice. But you never got a choice in this. I guess destiny had a different plan for you. That plan didn't include me," I whispered.

We were silent for a while just watching the waves on the shore from our tree. I wondered if he brought Michelle here. Did they sit and watch the water in silence.

"As if he could read my mind Jacob answered my thoughts, "This is our spot Bells. Michelle respects that and when I come here, I think of you. She knows that I still come here to think about you, but she won't come down here to get me. She understands that this place is ours, and she won't take that from you."

Great! How am I supposed to hate this woman? She understood what happened. I stood up, making the decision that I needed to see her. I needed to see Michelle, see the life that I would never have. We walked back to the house as Jacob filled me on his life during the last three years. When we neared the house I saw Michelle through the kitchen window. Jacob grabbed my hand as he helped me find the strength to walk through the front door.

Michelle was at the sink washing dishes from breakfast. To her left was a high chair and in the chair was Megan, the toddler from the Triftway yesterday. Megan looked up and shrieked with glee. She pointed to Jake and shouted out, "DADDY!"

I froze. Daddy? Jacob was a daddy? How was this possible? I mean, I knew how that was possible, but geez, it didn't take them very long now did it. As I fought to control the anger rising in my throat, Michelle turned and smiled. She seemed unsure of what to say.

"I just came to make sure that Jacob was okay. That you were taking care of him. Please tell me you aren't letting him do anything dangerous," I asked of her.

She started laughing. When she got control of her giggles, she gave Jacob a look and turned back to me, "Here I thought I was the only one who thought this boy takes unnecessary risks. He just can't help himself I suppose," she said the last part with a glimpse at Jacob.

Michelle really did love Jacob. I couldn't really blame her. Jacob was a good man,. Soon it was late afternoon and Megan was growing cranky. I excused myself so Michelle could tend to their daughter. Before I left, she hugged me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you for giving him to me." She kissed my cheek tenderly and picked up Megan. They left the room towards Megan's nursery.

Jacob stood up to walk me out. For the first time he spotted the car and his brow furrowed.

"Where's the truck?" he asked.

"I traded it in finally. It was on its last leg. Besides I needed a new vehicle. One without the memories of Forks," I sighed.

"Bella," he started, "Promise me that you won't go three years without talking with me again."

"Jake, I promise."

I returned to La Push feeling so much better about things. That part of my life was painful, but I had been through harder times and survived. I would survive this, maybe not get over it entirely, but I would survive. I got back to Charlie's and went to my laptop to start my story. I was so involved in the piece that I didn't realize what time it was until I heard Charlie's cruiser pull into the driveway again. I closed the laptop and headed down to the kitchen. Charlie was just coming into the house when I came down the stairs.

"Hey Bella. What are you doing," he asked.

"Hey Dad. I was just working on my article today. I…went and saw… Jacob today. I didn't realize that he was a father. But Michelle and him are perfect together. I never…" I stopped when I saw the look of horror on Charlie's face

"You… went to La Push? Are… you… all right?" he asked cautiously.

"Actually, I am. I guess I needed to talk to Jacob. To get out closure. It sounds odd, but Michelle really is his soul mate. They are perfect together. I'm just glad that Jake and I can still be friends. I promised to keep him posted on my life and he promised the same. I promised to visit more often," I threw in the last part hoping Charlie wouldn't mind.

Charlie looked incredulous. "I'm surprised that you went down there. I figured you'd make up that part of your article, but if you promise you're okay, I'm fine with it."

"I'm fine, I promise Charlie. Now do me a favor," I asked,

"What's the favor?" he asked.

"Stop fighting with Billy. I heard you last night on the phone. You two are friends, and just because Jacob and I didn't work out doesn't mean you have to stop that friendship. You don't have to pick sides Dad. Besides, someone has to take you fishing so you don't fall in the ocean," I joked.

"You know kid, I missed you around here," he quipped.

"I missed you too, Dad."


	5. A Town that Never Changes

**A/N: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, but I hope you like my story with her characters anyway... Read and Review please. I won't be able to update after this for a day or two maybe, depends on how many reviews I get... we'll just have to wait and see.**

That night I stayed up longer than normal. I couldn't place it, but there was something I was missing. I sat staring at my laptop for a long time. Something had happened today that made me think. I remembered that time six years ago when Edward had left me and it took all my strength to get up in the morning. It took me months to begin to feel even close to normal, well as normal as a girl who was hearing voices. Jake fixed me. He helped make me better. When Jacob imprinted there was no one there to pick up the broken pieces. I was in charge of that this time. I had to mend my heart and soul. It was long and painful, but I did it. There was a time when I really thought I would always be alone. I was always being left behind by the ones I gave my heart to. Eventually, I dove into my jobs until there was nothing else for me to think about. If I wasn't working, I was sleeping. I wasn't dreaming those horrible dreams from my past every night, but I was able to bury the past deep.

I don't know how, but I had spent three hours just sitting at that desk thinking. Thinking about Jacob, thinking about Edward, thinking about me. I felt a breeze blow across my face, and that pulled me out of my thoughts. My window was open again. Immediately, my heart froze. I know I had closed it this morning. How did it get opened again? I slowly crept to the window. I peered out the opening. I still expected to see Victoria sometimes, but that was a ridiculous fear. Victoria was gone. Jacob had seen to that.

I looked out the window without really seeing anything. I was about to close the window, again, when I saw a flash of white on the ground. I gasped. Maybe it was because of the dream I had the night before, but part of me thought, hoped even, that the reason my window kept opening was because Edward was near. It was crazy, I know, but it didn't stop a small part of me from wishing that were true nonetheless. I sighed his name into the night and instead of closing the window, I left it open.

_That night, I dreamed about Edward again. Edward and I were alone, walking on a beach. The sun was behind the clouds, but I was warm enough to be content. He held my hand and that slightest touch made me shiver with delight. I gripped his hand tightly. We continued our walk until Edward stopped suddenly. He pulled me into a tight embrace and laid his head on my shoulder. I laid my head against his chest. I felt safe here. Safe in his arms, his embrace. _

_Then, without warning Edward lifted my up. He jumped into the water with both of us laughing. I screamed as the cold water hit my face. He splashed me, and I dunked him under. We were acting like teenagers once again. Without another warning, Edward pushed me under the water and began kissing me. He kissed me long and hard. I should have broken the kiss to get air, but I didn't need it. We were submerged for what seemed like minutes, and I still had no need for air. It wasn't until we broke the surface that I realized Edward was sparkling in the sunlight that had broken free from the clouds. I was amazed by his appearance and how his skin still glittered as it took my breath away. _

_Edward whispered in my ear, "You sparkle more radiantly than all the diamond in the world."_

_It was then I realized my skin was just as bright as his. The facets in my skin were brightly shimmering in the sunlight. I was a vampire. I was with Edward…_

I woke up the next morning with a smile frozen on my face. I showered and got ready for my day. I wanted to explore the town, just to make sure that there wasn't any change. I liked knowing that the small town I had left behind would still be the same, even as time passed slowly by. I drove to town and found all the same stores I had once walked by daily. I parked near a café and began walking down the sidewalk. I walked until I reached the place of my former employment. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to enter Newton's Athletic Store.

The bell above the door rang quietly. I immediately recognized Mrs. Newton behind the counter. She was reading a magazine during the slow hours. Her husband was building a display of backpacks, probably for the upcoming school year or end of the camping season. Mrs. Newton looked up and smiled. I wasn't sure if she recognized me, but her son Mike emerged from the back room within seconds carrying an armload of what looked like heavy boxes. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. Immediate recognition was on his face as he set the boxes down and jogged to me.

"Bella! Bella Swan!" he exclaimed as he pulled me into a hug. The smile on his face was large and hopeful. He pulled back to ask, "Are you here for the reunion?"

"Yes, Mike. I am back for a few weeks, in fact. I figured I would visit Charlie and see how this small town has changed while I've been away. Just for the record, everything is the same. Even you. You are still the same old Mike," I said with a grin.

"Oh, I don't know. Some things have changed around here. Not much, but still some things. I got my degree from Washington State and next year I'm taking over the business. I'm actually looking forward to it. I have my own place too which you have to come by and check out sometime," he snuck that last statement in under his breath so his parents wouldn't hear.

"Well, I'll see what I can do Mike, I have a lot of people to see and interview," I explained to him about my article. He seemed as upset as Charlie that I would be forced to be around Jacob. I guess Mike really hasn't changed all that much. It was then Mike invited me to lunch at the small café in town. Maybe I was feeling nostalgic or maybe I didn't mind his company so much any more, but I agreed to eating lunch with him. We chatted as we walked back towards the café. It seemed like that first day of school all over again, but there was no Edward there to distract me. Mike really was a nice guy, over zealous at times obviously, but nice just the same. He caught me up on what some of our other friends from high school had been doing and who had gotten married that he had heard about. I showed him the picture of Angela and Ben's baby they had sent me last year and told him how they were two of the main reasons I came back to the reunion.

Soon, lunch was over, and I decided it was time to return to Charlie's house to continue my article. I thanked Mike for lunch and headed back to my car. He stopped me before I could get into the driver's side, and asked me out to dinner. Same old Mike I thought to myself. I didn't feel like hurting his feelings (same old me, I guess) and told him I would think about it, but wasn't sure what my time would be like during my stay. He smiled for me once more and waved as I drove away.


	6. Working Hard

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A/N: I do not own Twilight, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I hope you like this story. Read and review. I'm not posting another chapter until I reach 25 reviews.

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I returned to Charlie's house on a mission. I was supposed to send the first part of my article via email to my editor. He was expecting 300 words by 5 P.M. today. His instructions were to have an introduction to the piece, and if he liked it, it would be featured as a three-part article shown in segments over the next few weeks. I quickly reviewed my notes from my visit with Jacob, and added notes from my visit around town and with Mike today.

I started writing about my experiences thus far on this trip. My visit with my ex-husband, my visit with my high school friend, and returning to the home I spent time growing up in. I kept some details to myself, but used as much heart and humor as possible. I wanted readers to feel some of my emotions as they read my piece. I figured I would write the second piece about readjusting to the small town and trying to get into a routine that I once found familiar. My last piece would be about my return to the city and how this trip has affected or changed my perceptions about Forks.

I was working on the article for about a half hour when I heard a knock at the door. I walked briskly down the stairs and opened the door. On the other side of the door was a delivery man with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

"Bella Swan?" the man asked.

"I used to be, once upon a time. Can I help you?" I asked the man politely.

"These roses are for you then. Sign on this line," he said as he handed me his clipboard.

I signed my name and asked him, "Who are these from?"

"I don't know who they're from ma'am. I just deliver the flowers to the person they are for," he said quickly before he left the doorway.

As he walked down the sidewalk, I noticed an envelope stuck inside the bouquet. I had no one that would send me flowers, but I was intrigued. I set the flowers on the kitchen table and grabbed the envelope from the flowers. I removed the card and read,

"_Bella,_

_You shine brighter than all the stars in the heavens._

_My heart still belongs to you."_

My heart stopped beating for a split second. There was no name on the card. No familiar handwriting because my name and the beautiful note were typed. Jacob? No, his heart truly did belong to Michelle, not me. Edward? No, he had made it clear that he wasn't in love with me and that I was just a distraction. Besides, wouldn't he have come back for me by now if I "shone brighter than all the stars in the heavens"? That left only one logical choice: Mike Newton.

Dear Lord! Did that boy ever give up?! Sure he was cute, and he did make me smile today at lunch. But to say that I still held his heart was beyond me. I didn't want to date Mike. My life wasn't here in Forks anymore. I belonged in Seattle with my job. I'd just have to let him down again. One thing was for sure, this reunion was certainly bringing a lot of interesting changes and emotions into my life.


	7. Bed of Roses

**A/N: I am not the talented Stephenie Meyer. Hope you like the story nonetheless tho. Please read and review and let me know what you think will happen next.**

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That night I sent my article off to Seattle and sat staring at my roses beside my computer. They were gorgeous, there was no doubt about it, but I just couldn't accept them from Mike. No matter how I tried to convince myself otherwise, I just couldn't bring myself to feel those types of feelings for him. Maybe I only fell for mythical creatures I mused. I lay on my bed thinking these thoughts as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

_I was in a rose garden. The flowers were everywhere, and rose pedals seemed to rain down from above. I was walking toward the center where a man stood with his back to me. I recognized him immediately, it was Edward. He turned slowly and smiled at me as he handed me a single red rose. He took me by the hand and led me a few feet further into the garden. He turned and laid me down on a bed of multi-colored rose petals. He started kissing my neck. _

_He removed my shirt as he passionately kissed my collarbone. His cool kisses warmed my skin in a way I never thought possible. He kissed the length of my collarbone and made his way to my neck and jaw again. He kissed until he reached my earlobe. He sucked it gently, massaging it with his icy tongue. As he sucked my ear, he massaged my hardened nipples until I was quivering with pleasure. He switched earlobes and at the same time, switched nipples so that the opposites were being pleasured. I quickly climaxed again. Edward hadn't come close to touching my core and he had already shown me passion I would have only dreamed of._

_I reached for his head and brought his lips back to my own. We sat up as we continued kissing. I reached for his shirt buttons and made as short work of them as possible. I caressed his sculpted chest and abs. I bent down to his chest and sucked on his icy, hard nipples. A soft moan escaped his lips and his eyes rolled back in ecstasy. _

_I kneaded the other nipple with one hand while my other hand reached towards his belt. I began to remove the belt and unbutton his pants. Edward was fully aroused in this region. I slipped my hand into his pants, above the boxers and rubbed seductively as I continued kissing Edward's chest. My lips made their way back to his lips and soon I was on top of him, my legs straddling his hips. _

_I looked down at him and he pushed my panties to the side. I was still wearing my skirt, and Edward was still in his boxes. I moved the material in order to free him. I slid down his shaft that I could feel pulsing between my thighs. He bounced me above him as we both moaned the other's name. He was using his vampire strength to bounce me faster than I thought possible. Suddenly, he flipped us and he was above me. He raised my legs so they fit into the small of his back. He thrust with all his passion into me, making me scream out if ecstasy. With one final thrust, he was pushed over the edge. I could feel him pulsing inside of me. He collapsed on top of me after placing a kiss on my cheek and whispering, "I never left you."_

I woke with a start. Two dreams two nights. I don't think I could take this anymore. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take another cold shower. While I let the water run over my body and relax my muscles, I contemplated going over to the Cullen house. I was sure I would find it empty, still, but part of me needed this closure once more. Why would I be dreaming about Edward after such a long time. I had truly tried to move on, to forget him, but I'm now convinced that there would be no escape from him.

I headed down the stairs and quickly checked the time. It was 4:30 A.M. Charlie was still sleeping upstairs, but I didn't know when he would awaken to get to work. I wrote him a quick note letting him know I was going for a drive. I walked to my car and took deep breaths as I started the engine. I made my way north and headed towards the Cullen house. I paid careful attention as I made my way down the road. I knew I was getting close to their long, three-mile driveway. I saw the turn and slowed.

I stopped before making the turn. Did I really want to do this? What would be the best thing to find? I turned down the driveway. I noticed that the foliage was trimmed slightly and the path looked recently used. I drove slowly down the path thinking of what I would say to explain to whomever I may find at the end of this path. I wasn't paying careful attention as I drove. I looked up in time to realize the path was ending. I slammed on the brakes as my car slowed to a stop in front of the familiar white house. Inside, the lights were all on.


	8. Inside the House

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A/N: I do not own any of the characters or TWILIGHT. I am, however, an avid fan and reader and hope that you enjoy my story. Please read and review. Thanks to all of you that could not wait for me to post this next chapter.

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I gaped at the bright house before me. I was about to talk to someone. I didn't know if the Cullens even lived here or owned the house. What would happen if I got to the door and some other family or person was on the inside? I took a deep breath and got out of my car. I heard the crunch of the stones below my feet as I walked to the door. My heart was racing with nerves. As I climbed the steps to the porch, I was practically hyperventilating.

I reached up and knocked roughly on the door three time. Although there was a lot of lights on, I heard no footsteps coming towards the door. I was about to turn and leave when the door flew open and I was grabbed into a bone-crunching hug. I was trying to catch my breath as the person set me back onto the floor.

"Bella! You look the same, but you didn't fall down," Emmett said, sounding disappointed by the end of his statement.

"Emmett?" I asked incredulously.

"I cannot believe you're here. What are you doing here, at this time?" he asked me.

"I'm back in Forks for my the class reunion next week. Why are you guys here?" I asked.

"We came back about two years ago. It's been quiet around here without all the excitement that surrounds and follows you. Are you planning on getting attacked this week, I could use something to do," he grinned at me.

"I wasn't planning on getting attacked, but then again, you never know with me. I suppose I could stumble around and make my time around you interesting," I mused.

He led me into the living room and without even trying, I stumbled into the room. Emmett shook with laughter. He shook hard enough that he almost fell over himself. When he finally composed himself, I asked the hard question.

"Emmett, where is everyone? You appear to be alone," I commented.

"Well, Esme, Carlisle, and Rose are out hunting. Carlisle has been working in Seattle at a smaller clinic. He likes it, but Esme loves this house, so we came to live here. Rose is, well, Rose is Rose. She's trying her best to keep up with Alice at the malls these days. Alice is, of course, shopping like there's no tomorrow. Jasper is doing his best to calm her down some days. I think he has to work overtime, because when she's not shopping, she's depressed. She's lost you as a friend and Edward…" he stopped with a horrified look on his face.

"Emmett, what about Edward?" I asked cautiously. I was afraid to hear his response. Edward may not have wanted me, but I didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

"Well, after we left six years ago, Edward went off on his own. He was calling regularly to check up on us and let us know where he was. Then, you went and jumped off that cliff. Alice panicked and headed back here to help Charlie get through that time. But, I guess you weren't dead because she came back after only a day. Edward called again and Alice told him what happened. He kind of, well, lost it. He was screaming at Alice and then, we didn't hear from him for about a year. He was depressed, but never came back to our family. It wasn't until about three years ago that he started to cheer up. I don't know much besides the fact that he calls every other night and he seems a little happier. He won't come back to Forks, though. He said something about being too busy or something." He took a deep, unneeded breath and looked at my blank face.

"So you have no idea where Edward is now?" I asked.

"Oh, he's been all over the world in the last few years. But he said something about living in Emerald City or something. I've thought he's lost it myself. I mean Edward was never a fan of The Wizard of Oz," he finished.

"Emmett, did you know that the city of Seattle has the nickname of "Emerald City"? Do you think he would be in Seattle?" I asked.

"Seattle? I don't know. Why wouldn't he come here to visit every once and a while, then," he asked me.

"I…"

"BELLA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Alice screamed as she burst through the door.

"It's nice to see you too Alice," I said smirking.

"Oh my God, Bella. You've really grown up. You're gorgeous. We have to go shopping and catch up. You can tell me all about your life and what you're doing now and where you live and what kind of job you have unless of course you are still in college…"

"BREATHE ALICE!" I urged. "I'll answer your questions and catch up, but we don't need to go shopping to do that. I'm here for a few weeks. I'm in town to visit Charlie and friends, and I'm going to the class reunion next week." I told her.

"Class reunion?! We have to go shopping now. We have to get you the perfect dress for the occasion. I know just where we can go to get you dressed," she gushed.

"Alice, I don't need you to take me shopping. I have a dress and I think it's fine. Just let it go," I begged.

"Fine. I'll let it go – for now. So Bella, how have you been?" She pulled me onto the couch and sat beside me. As we sat down, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie all entered the house.

"Well, I am working for a newspaper in Seattle now. I have been working as a copy editor for about a year and a half now. I am actually working on my first piece for the paper. It's about coming back home after being gone for so long. It's been weird coming back and seeing people for the first time in three years," I started.

Alice interrupted me, "What about Jacob. Didn't you two get married? Are you both living up in Seattle now?"

I took a deep breath. I don't know how she knew about Jacob and I, after all, she couldn't see my future when it was mixed with the wolves. "Yes, Jacob and I were married the summer after I graduated. We were actually married for two years. Then, well… He sort of fell for someone else."

The look of shock on their faces urged me to continue, "See there's this thing called imprinting. Sometimes when the wolves meet someone new… it's like the world stops and their soul mate is revealed to them. They have to meet their soul mate in order for this to happen. I knew Jacob never imprinted with me, but one I came back from class and he was crying. He told me what happened and I left. I haven't been back to this area since. I saw him the other day. He and Michelle have a daughter now."

I took a deep breath as Esme crossed the room and pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry that you were not able to have a lifetime of happiness. You deserve that," she told me.

Carlisle also gave me a swift hug. He, too, offered me his compassion and sympathy.

"So Bella, why are you at our house so early in the morning?" Alice finally asked me.

"Well, for the past couple nights, I've been dreaming about… about you guys. Tonight's dream was a little unnerving, but in a good way. So I decided to come back to this house, just to see if you ever came back to the area. I don't know what I expected to happen when I got here, but it was nice to see you all again. I know I've taken too much of your time, so I should be going. I've missed you all," I said as I rose to my feet. I crossed the living room and "tripped" for Emmett once more.

He was amused and got up to give me one more hug. As he hugged me, he whispered into my ear, "It's just not the same without you here Bella. Come back again."

I walked to my car with so much to think about. The Cullens, well most of them, missed me. They had quietly returned to Forks, but were keeping a very low profile. Edward was not with his family, and that didn't seem right. What was most odd about the situation was that Edward was in Seattle. I wonder if maybe I might have been in the same room or building with him in these past few years. I wonder if Edward had sensed me if were had been close. I wonder why he would choose Seattle to live in or all the places in the world.


	9. Shopping with Alice

**A/N: I do not own any of the Twilight books or characters. Please read and review and let me know what you think. There are pictures of all the dresses Bella tries on in my profile. Feel free to check them out. **

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I drove back to Charlie's house in silence. I turned off the radio. I wanted to think. Why wasn't Edward with his family. He used to tell me exactly how much they meant to him. It didn't make any sense for him not to be with the rest of the Cullens. What was he doing in Seattle that kept him from his family. There had to be a good reason behind his decision. Edward never did anything without thinking it through, and more likely than not, over thinking it.

What had caused him to be so upset that he would stay away from his family for a year? Why did he get upset with Alice when I had my ONE unsuccessful attempt at cliff diving? Was he really upset that she would come back here, or was it because I was being reckless? I couldn't believe that he would be upset with Alice for checking on me and Charlie. After all, she was my friend too. But, after that conversation in the forest, why would he even care if I jumped off a cliff? After all, I was just a distraction in his life.

I stopped the car. The trip to Charlie's hadn't taken that long and my head was filled with questions. I didn't seem to know the answers to these questions, either. That bothered me most. I walked back into the house. Charlie had already left for work. I sat in my bedroom listening to the silence. Was Edward in Seattle because of me? My heart flipped erratically at this thought. I doubted it to be true, but at the same time, my heart wanted nothing more. After all these years, I was still in love with him. I had done what he asked and tried to move on, but the dreams, my heart's reaction to the stories from his family, and my hidden hopes all pointed to one answer. I was in love with Edward, and would probably always be in love with him.

It was during this realization that my window flew open. I gasped in shock as I watched a pale figure enter my bedroom. I was mildly disappointed to see it was Alice.

"Alice, you could've just used the door. There's no need to climb through the window," I told her.

"Well, where's the fun in that. Besides, no one really knows we're back in Forks. You never know what a neighbor would say if they saw me enter through the door," she said grinning. "Get your purse. We're going to Port Angeles to get you an amazing dress for the reunion. Trust me, you'll be thanking me when you get there."

I sighed. I doubted I really had a choice in the matter. I guess there were worse things than shopping with Alice. I just couldn't think of any right now. I grabbed my purse and headed down the stairs. Alice hadn't followed me. I opened the front door and looked towards my car. Alice was already inside, behind the wheel. I opened the passenger door and gaped at her.

"You know Alice, it's my car. I should be the one driving it," I said.

"No. You drive too slow. I will get us there much faster and that way we have more time to look for the perfect dress," she told me.

I felt defeated, but got into my car on the passenger side. I had barely closed the door when Alice floored the gas pedal. We were speeding out of the city limits before I even had my seat belt fastened. We spent most of the ride with Alice telling me about what she and Jasper had been up to during the last six years. Alice had used the information from the video James was making to find out about her past. She had traced her history back to the asylum, and had even found some of her living relatives. I listened, thoroughly interested, to her story. I wished I could offer her more information or help with her search, but that didn't seem possible. So, I was forced to just listen and offer my sympathy.

"We're here! Alice exclaimed after about 20 instead of what should have been a long hour ride. "Let's get you a knock out dress."

"Fine Alice. I had resigned myself to her shopping addiction. I wasn't happy that she would inevitably want to play "Bella Barbie" when she had found the "perfect dress" but there wasn't much I could do to stop her. It's not like I could beat her in a fight. "Alice, just make sure you help me find the perfect dress for me, not a dress YOU think is perfect," I pleaded.

We were soon looking through racks of clothing and dresses searching for the perfect dress. We had only been in the store five minutes when Alice handed me an armload of clothing to try on. She forced me towards the dressing room and waited just outside the door. I sighed as loudly as possible. She wasn't buying it.

"Bella, you are going to look great in these clothes. Now put the first dress on and we'll see what you like," she told me.

I grabbed the first garment and began to change outfits. The first outfit was a classic basic black cocktail dress. There was a little sparkle to the material and it actually fit me pretty well. I was almost impressed. I opened the door so Alice could see the dress. Her brow furled a little then she broke out into a grin.

"It's a lovely dress, but not quite right for the reunion," she finally said. "You should get it though. You never know when you're going to need a beautiful dress for dinner or dancing."

"Alice, I'm only buying one dress today, and that is the dress for the reunion you claim I need. I'm perfectly happy with the dress I have hanging in my closet at Charlie's house," I reminded her.

"Fine. You only have to buy one dress today Bella," she conceded.

I went back into the dressing room again to switch clothes. The next dress was a strapless layered dress. There was black lace that covered a shimmering silver lining. It was gorgeous, and in the mirror I was actually pleased with how it looked on me. "Alice, I think this may be the dress," I said through the door.

"Well then, let me see it on you," she begged. After looking at me from all angles, she agreed that I looked good in the dress, but told me to keep trying the rest, just in case there was something I liked more.

I returned once again to switch clothes. I set that dress aside figuring it would be the dress I purchased. The next dress was red and as soon as I saw the cutout on the front I growled. The dress had a keyhole opening in the bust and there was a diamond pendant to draw even more attention to that area of my body. There asymmetrical skirt was nice, but that was the only thing about the dress I liked. "This one's a no, Alice. It doesn't cover me up well enough."

I came out of the dressing room intending to turn right around and come back in. Alice had other ideas. "Oh, that looks great on you Bell. You will certainly turn heads at the graduation. I doubt even Lauren wouldn't be envious of you in that dress," she gushed.

I returned to the dressing room again. This time, my face matched the shade of the dress. I took at deep breath and pulled the yellow dress off the hanger next. It was strapless and had black lace that wound around the waist. There was also the same black lace that peeked out from the bottom hem. I liked this one as well (although I really didn't want Alice to know this. She would take me shopping everyday if she knew).

"Alice I like this one, but it isn't my favorite," I told her.

I had two more dresses to try on. One was green the other was blue. The green was strapless and sating. There was a crystal brooch that was at the right side of the waist. I went to the knees and caught the light perfectly. Both Alice and I liked the dress, but not for the reunion.

The blue dress was beyond gorgeous. It was exquisite. It was a satin gown with gather detailing on the skirt. The skirt went to mid-thigh and my legs didn't look that bad in it. There was a rhinestone piece that formed a glittering neckline. I had to decide between the silver/black dress and this one. I went out of the dressing room to ask Alice what she thought.

"Bella, that is the dress. That is the dress that will turn every head. And if you wear it again to a party for work, you will have a line of guys just itching to date you," she said.

I went back into the dressing room to get dressed again and grabbed the blue dress. I hung the other dresses on the rack outside the dressing room and headed to the cashier. Alice told me she would meet me there because she was going to buy me shoes to match my dress. We walked out of the store a few minutes later with me carrying two bags, and Alice was carrying three. I guess while I was dressing she found things she liked.

We went to the food court so I could get something to eat. I grabbed some Chinese and we sat at a table with our purchases taking up half the space. Alice caught me up with the rest of her family's activities. They all had traveled back and forth to Alaska a few times in the last few years, and Jasper was finishing his studies in Philosophy. I was really enjoying my time with Alice, and I knew that at some level, my heart would break when this visit was over. I knew that I wouldn't be able to see them again for a while.

"You know Bella, when you go back to Seattle, I may just have to visit you often. I've missed seeing you and talking to you. You promise me that you will make it back to Forks more often," she looked at me with big pleading eyes as she said this.

"Of course, Alice. I was just thinking the same thing. I've missed you and your family. I was just hoping that I would have the opportunity to see you again," I told her.

I finished my lunch and we headed back to my car. I was a little tired, so I didn't mind when Alice told me that she would drive us back to Forks. We drove towards the small town while I filled her in on the smaller details of my life. I told her about my apartment and how it still wasn't fully decorated. Before we got back to Charlie's house I told Alice the truth I had realized this morning.

"Alice, I still love him."


	10. Coming Back to Reality

**A/N: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, I own none of the characters.**

"Well of course you still love Jacob. You were married to the man, dog, werewolf…whatever he is. It's only natural." she said.

"No not Jacob. Well, of course, a part of my heart will always love Jacob, but that's not who I meant. I meant, I still love Edward. I don't think I've ever stopped. I'm pretty sure that if I had seen you when you came to check on me and Charlie six years ago, I would've begged you to take me to your brother. That night was Jacob and my first kiss, and right before I kissed him, I was thinking about Edward and how he would want me to be happy." I paused to take a breath.

"Alice, I miss Edward. I've been dreaming about him for the last few nights. That's the real reason I went to you house this morning. I figured my dreams were trying to tell me something. Then when I drove home this morning, I realized that I'm still in love with him. Is there something wrong with me that I cannot get over him? That I'm still in love with him?" I asked her.

"Bella, I don't think Edward ever stopped loving you. I have my suspicions, and he hasn't admitted it, but I'm pretty sure that you are the reason he's in Seattle now. I think he's making sure you are staying as safe as possible. The fact that you are not married to Jacob anymore could just be the reason he's been happier lately. I know he went to your wedding and watched you get married, but after that, his whereabouts were a mystery to us. He showed up in Seattle about the same time you did," Alice told me quietly.

I stared at her. I had those same hopes this morning, but having Alice say them out loud made them that much more real. I was about to say something else to her when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and smiled. She answered the phone, but handed it to me without saying a word. I was confused until I heard the voice on the other end.

"Alice? Are you there? It's me, Edward…" the sweet, velvety voice said.

"Edward?!" I squeaked.

The line went dead immediately.


	11. A Bedroom Visit

"Alice, your brother just hung up the phone, or was disconnected," I told her.

"Well that little…" she muttered. She grabbed the phone from my outstretched hand and hit the redial button. It rang for a few seconds and then she was talking at lightning speed. I didn't catch more than a few words and phrases, but it didn't make sense that he would be upset to talk to me. Alice was usually right about things, and I just couldn't figure out why he would be so upset to talk to me. Unless he really didn't care about me anymore…

"Bella," Alice said handing the phone to me once again. I took it was a little unsure what she wanted me to do. "Just talk to him, Bella," Alice urged. I realized we were in front of Charlie's house by now.

"Hello?" I said quietly.

"Bella? How are you?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm good. How are you Edward?" I asked just as cautiously.

"I'm fine. May I asked why you are with my sister?" he asked.

"Well, I came back to Forks for our five year reunion and was thinking about you guys. I decided to drive over to the house this morning, just to see what had happened to the house, and well… they were all there," I told him.

"I see. Well… What are you up to these days?" he asked.

"I'm working in Seattle. Emmett said you were there these days. What are you doing there?" I asked him.

"I, well, I have been keeping myself busy. I have to go. I can't really talk long. Take care of yourself Bella," he told me before he disconnected.

"Good-bye Edward," I said into the dead phone.

Alice and I exited the car and headed into Charlie's house with my purchases for the day. Charlie was in the kitchen, just opening a pizza box. He looked up to tell me there was pizza and noticed Alice. He seemed stunned by her, but she greeted him with so much enthusiasm that he barely had time to speak. I grabbed a piece of pizza and sat at the table. Alice, of course, declined a slice and settled for talking to us while we ate. I was just finishing up when Alice said she had to be going. I walked her to the door and told her good night. She walked to the corner before disappearing with her vampire speed.

I told Charlie that I was going upstairs to make some notes for my article and take my purchases upstairs to hang. I carried my dress and shoes upstairs. I was so tired by the time I got to the top of the stairs that I was yawning when I opened my bedroom door. I stepped inside and noticed that all of Alice's purchases were on top of my bed with a note.

"_Bella, these looked too good on you for you not to have. _

_Wear them well and make Lauren jealous no matter which dress you choose._

_Love, Alice"_

That little pixie is diabolical. But for once, I think I'll enjoy letter her spend the money on me. Just this once, though. I hung all the dresses in my closet and grabbed my bathroom things. I went to take a quick shower. I let the hot water rush over my tense muscles as I tried to process my phone conversation with Edward today. Maybe Alice and I had totally misread the signs. Maybe Edward really didn't care about me that way anymore. It still didn't change the way I felt about him however. I realized that I was still totally in love with him, and would probably die that way. I softly banged my head against the shower wall wishing I could get him out of my mind. But he was always there.

I shut the water off and wrapped a towel around my body. I tried to brush out my hair as quickly as possible. I got dressed and walked back to my room. Once the door was shut, I sat down at my desk and turned towards the computer. I tried to figure out how I could write about what had happened today without giving too many details. I opened my email and saw that my editor was pleased with my work. He said that he couldn't wait to see what happened at the reunion. He was even thinking about sending a photographer out to the event to "capture the moment" and give the readers a visual to go with my writing. I made my notes for today quickly and turned off the computer.

I was so thankful to head towards the bed that I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. Of course, because I wasn't paying attention, I tripped. I braced myself for the fall, but miraculously I didn't hit the ground. Two strong, familiar arms had reached out to save me. I stood and turned to face him. He seemed taller than the last time I had seen him, which was shocking because I had just seen him yesterday.

"Jake! What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I just needed to see you Bells, to make sure that you are all right. I see that you still can't walk across a flat surface without hurting yourself," he said with a smirk.

"I'm fine Jake. In the last three years, I've only managed to land in the hospital twice, and one of those time was not my fault," I said defensively.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you are okay after yesterday. I mean, it was the first time you were back here, and Michelle and Megan…." he left off.

"Jacob, I knew when I left that you were going to move on with your life with Michelle. I knew that she is your other half, and I also knew that eventually you would have a family and life with her. Sure, I wasn't expecting to see a toddler this trip, but I expected you to move on and be happy. It's what you deserve," I told him as convincingly as possible. "I think it might hurt more if I saw that you had stopped caring about me entirely, but I am happy that your life is this blessed," I added.

"Bella, you deserve happiness too. You're a good person, and you deserve to have someone in your life that will make you happy. Whoever he is, he's a lucky man, if only because he'll have you. Don't settle for anything less than you deserve," he said as he kissed my cheek.

He turned and headed towards the window. He paused to look back at me once more. "By the way Bella, there's been a vampire in your room," he said sniffing the air.

"It was probably just Alice Cullen. I saw her today and she bought me some dresses without telling me and then put them up here so I wouldn't see them until I got upstairs and she would be gone," I explained.

"Be careful Bella. We'll protect you from vampires. They won't hurt you again."

"I know Jake. Go home. Your wife will be wondering where you are." I watched him jump from the window and land safely on the ground. He grinned sheepishly up at me as he headed towards the forest. I sighed. I figured that Jacob was the person checking on me at night. It made sense. Besides, I never heard him come in tonight. It could have easily been him.

I made my way to the bed, this time safely. I got under the covers and shut off the light. It didn't take me long to fall asleep that night. I slept dreamlessly for a bit until I was awakened. I didn't make any sudden movements, but opened one eye. I looked around the room and saw a pale, familiar figure sitting in my rocking chair.

**A/N: Hey everyone! Read and review please. Let me know what you think.**


	12. Telling the Cullens

For a quick moment our eyes met. I began to sit up, but before I was upright, he had jumped from the chair and out the window. I sat there stunned for a few seconds before throwing the covers off my body. I went to the window and looked outside.

"Damn it Edward! Get back here and talk to me," I said. I knew that he would be able to hear me.

I didn't hear or see him in the night. I shut the window and turned around. I went to my closet and quickly threw on some clothes. I grabbed my purse and left a note for Charlie saying I would be back and I had to meet up with an old friend. I got into my car and drove to the Cullen house. I needed to see Alice and let his family know that Edward was in Forks. They had a right to know.

I turned down their driveway and pulled up to the front of the house. I had barely turned off the ignition when I noticed a white flash stop beside my car door. I jumped and looked up to see Alice practically jumping a foot in the air with excitement.

"Bella, I know I told you I wanted to see you more, but you really didn't have to come over here tonight. If you're coming to yell at me for the dresses, then you can just save your breath, because you and I both know how amazing they looked on you," she stopped when she saw my face.

"Bella, what's wrong?" she asked me.

"It's Edward. He was in my room tonight. I woke up and saw him in my rocking chair. He left before I could even sit up fully. I told him to come back and talk to me, but he didn't. I thought you all should know that Edward is in Forks. He's your brother, and you have a right to know where he is," I said.

"Bella, come inside for a moment," she said ominously.

We walked into the massive living room and in the center of the room was everyone huddled around Edward. I froze when I saw him and his topaz eyes. I didn't realize that I had stopped breathing until I began to get dizzy. He crossed the room and stood just in front of me. We stood there basking in each other's presence. He was the first one to blink and move. He scooped me up and rand to the third floor where he set me down on the couch in the room that had once been his.

"So, let's talk," he said to me.

**A/N: Read and review please. **


	13. Talking to Edward

"What do you want to talk about Edward?" I asked. I figured that if he wanted to talk, I'd let him to most of the talking.

"What to you want to talk about Bella? You're the one who told me to go back and talk to you." he had that same mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Let's start with tonight and work our way backwards, shall we? What were you doing in my bedroom?" I asked him, trying hard not to get distracted by his perfect physique, his gorgeous topaz eyes, and his cute, boyish grin.

"Well, I thought that was obvious. I was watching you sleep," he said simply.

"Why Edward?"

"Well, I always liked watching you sleep. It's the one time you seem at peace," he told me.

"And how often have you watched me sleep in the last six years?" I figured it was time to get answers.

"I've kept an eye on you just to make sure you have kept your promise to be safe," he said with concern written all over his face.

"I see you're going to be evasive. Let's try this question. What are you doing in Seattle that's keeping you so busy?"

"Same thing as tonight."

"So you've been stalking me for how long exactly?" I asked unsure that I wanted to know this answer.

"Let's start with what you want to know, shall we. I went to your wedding, but kept my distance. I wanted to make sure you were happy. So when I saw you were truly happy, I left. I traveled around for a while, but came back to Forks about two years ago. I figured I would see how you were, but went around Charlie so I could read his thoughts about you. Apparently, it was the day after you left Jacob. I followed you immediately because if I hadn't, I would have killed Jacob for hurting you." He paused to cross the room and stand by the windows.

"Bella, I followed you ever since. I wanted to see how you were doing. I wanted you to have the best life possible, despite what happened with Jacob. I tried to keep you as safe as possible. I made sure you never had any harm come near you. I wanted you to… move on." He turned to gaze across the room at me. I couldn't move. I had a million questions for him, but he continued.

"When you began working at the paper, I had so many emotions as I watched you. I noticed that you never dated, but at first I figured it was just too soon. You still haven't moved on, why?" he said with unease.

"I didn't know the answer to that question until yesterday. I was dreaming the other night when I realized the truth." I looked down before continuing. I couldn't look at him when I told him the next part. "I'm still in love."

"Well you did marry him. That would take some time to get over and move on from. My guess is that you will always love Jacob,"

"I know I will always love Jacob. I know that and I've accepted that he was going to have a piece of my heart."

"I hate that he did this to you. He should pay. He shouldn't be able to just go on living after hurting you," he said with hard eyes.

I got up and left. I couldn't tell Edward that he misunderstood, that I still loved him and have him reject me again. My life was fine the way it was, I didn't need him feeling sorry or guilty. I walked down the stairs towards the front door. I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. A felt a strong breeze of wind blow behind me. I looked up to see Edward blocking my path.

"Where are you going Bella?" he asked with sad eyes.

"I need to go home. I can't talk anymore. Don't feel bad about Jacob. He's a good man, and I always hoped that he wouldn't imprint, but he did. I've gotten over that fact and started my own like. Leave Jacob alone. He has a family and a new life, and I'm happy for him."

I turned towards my car and watched as Edward stared after me. I started to back out of the driveway when I noticed him sitting beside me. "Bella, I'm sorry. I won't hurt him if that's what you want," he told me as he kissed my cheeks.

I slammed on the brakes and watched him get out of the car. Now it was my turn to stare after him. He just kissed me. Not the type of kiss I wanted, but a kiss nonetheless. My heart was racing, and I'm sure he could hear it as he walked back to the house. I started driving again. I was back to Charlie's before I knew what had happened. I had four more days until the reunion, and I don't remember a time in my life when I've ever been more confused.

I went back to bed and laid there for hours. I decided it was time to sleep about the same time the sun came up for the day.

**A/N: Well folks, I couldn't put them together. I would be just way too predictable. I'd love it if you would send me a review and let me know what you think. Let me know if you have any suggestions on what should happen. I'm starting to get a little bit of writers' block. Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!**


	14. A Night out with the Cullens

The strain of the last few days must have been getting to me. I slept until the sun was falling in the sky. I walked over to the window and opened it. I let a cool, Pacific breeze come into the room as I went to my computer. I started working on the second part of my article. I checked email and wrote Renee. It had been a week since our last email. I told her what I'd been up to and how the article was going. I left out the part with Jacob and, more recently, Edward. She didn't like to see that history had repeated itself.

I sat staring at the screen for a few hours after that. I had no motivation to do much of anything today. I had slept through most of the day. I went downstairs to get something to eat. Charlie wasn't home, but there was a note saying he had to work all day and wouldn't be home for about 30 more minutes. I decided to fix dinner for him. I wanted to talk to him. I fixed steak and potatoes. It was the first meal I fixed for Charlie almost seven years ago. I wondered if he would remember, but Charlie never came across as the nostalgic type.

When Charlie came home, I was just pulling the steaks and potatoes out of the oven. He came into the kitchen and pulled me into a half hug. He told me about his day and a recent chat with Billy. He seemed happy to be talking to Billy again. I was glad about that, of course. We finished eating and I began cleaning up the kitchen when the door bell rang. Charlie went to get the door while I started washing the dishes.

"Hello, Charlie," I heard Alice's high-pitched voice and wondered what she was doing here. "I came to see if Bella is interested in going out with me and my sister tonight. Is she home?" Alice asked, like she didn't know the answer.

"Sure Alice. Come on in. Bella is cleaning up from dinner. She's in the kitchen. Go in," Charlie said before heading towards the living room.

"Hi Bella! You're coming to the club with us tonight. No arguing. I have an outfit for you, and Rose will be here in a few minutes to pick us up. The boys are coming too so you can't leave us hanging," she told me with a stern look on her face.

I didn't think I really had a choice in the matter, but I sighed as loudly as possible. Alice would never understand that I didn't like going out, or getting dressed up, or going to places where I was just going to make a fool out of myself because of my lack of coordination. Just as I was about to put up a fight, Alice began pulling me towards the stairs and up to my room. She had placed an outfit on the bed already. It was way too skimpy, but Alice refused to let it go.

The outfit she had place on my bed was a skimpy blue dress with jewels along the bust. I couldn't believe that I was going to let her dress me in this. She told me that this color was Edward's favorite and that she "knew" he still loved me. I didn't want to break her heart and tell her that for once, she was wrong. About 30 minutes we were dressed and heading down the stairs. Rose was just pulling in when I told Charlie I was leaving. Alice told him I was going to stay at her house so he didn't need to wait up. We walked to the car and I felt even more ordinary next to Rose and Alice. They looked gorgeous. Alice had a hot pink top over a black mini skirt. Rose looked phenomenal in a short black cut out dress. I wrapped my arms around myself to show my discomfort.

Rose drove us to a club in Port Angeles. The guys were just getting there when we arrived. They were all dressed well and looked, if possible, even more good-looking than I remembered. Edward was the last one I saw, and he looked bored and not happy to be here. When he saw me, he quickly turned his head and began walking towards the club. I walked with the group and the bouncer took one look at Rose and Alice and let us in. I walked immediately over to the bar and figured I was going to need something to drink if I was going to get through this night. The bartender came over and winked at me as he asked what I wanted. I ordered a Sex on the Beach which raised Emmett and Jasper's eyebrows. Edward stood near the group but wasn't looking at me. The bartender brought me my drink and we headed to a booth near the dance floor.

Alice and Rose pulled Jasper and Emmett towards the floor leaving Edward and me sitting at the table. Edward watched me as I sipped my drink.

"So Edward, how did they manage to bring you here tonight?" I joked.

"They threatened to break the piano in my new apartment," he told me seriously.

"That's a little below the belt, don't you think. I may have to rethink about whether or not I think your family really is a bunch of monsters," I joked to him.

For the first time that night, Edward smiled and it looked like he may have been laughing. "What's your excuse?" he asked me.

"I'm human, Alice had super-human strength. I didn't have a choice," I told him.

He laughed and said that she certainly had a way of getting what she wanted from people. He surprised me when he asked me to dance.

"Edward, it's not that I don't want to dance with you, I just don't think it's a safe idea. I mean, you remember how easily I hurt myself just walking."

"Don't worry, I won't let you hurt yourself - or anyone else for that matter," he added as he chuckled.

"Fine. Maybe they aren't the only monsters in the club tonight," I mumbled.

Edward led me toward the dance floor and placed his hands on my hips. He started pushing my hips so I was moving to the beat. It didn't take long before I was lost, looking up into Edwards eyes and smile. Suddenly, I was being pulled away by Alice and Rose towards the center. They started dancing with me while Edward and the guys were left to gawk at us along with all the other guys.

After a while, I was thirsty again, so I went back to the bar. I ordered another sex on the beach and while I waited I noticed Edward was looking at me.

"What? Do I look terrible?" I asked him frantically.

"Not at all. I was just thinking about how beautiful you look," he told me.

My drink arrived and we walked back to our table. I sat there drinking the drink again. I was actually having fun (damn that Alice and her predictions) but I was getting tired. Edward must have noticed, because he told me to wait a moment as he went out onto the dance floor. He came back a few minutes later asking if I was ready to go home. I told him yes and we left the club. We walked to the silver Volvo that was parked near the entrance. Edward opened the passenger door for me and helped me into the car. When Edward was back in the car, we sat in comfortable silence for the ride back to Forks. I had almost fallen asleep when Edward pulled up in front of the Cullen house.

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters, but hope you will enjoy the story. Read and review and let me know how I'm doing.**


	15. Coming Home with Edward

"Edward, why didn't you take me back to Charlie's?" I asked him as we got out of the car.

"Alice said that she cleared it with your dad for you to stay here tonight. Besides, we're here. Do you want me to take you home or do you want to stay here tonight?" he asked me.

I couldn't tell for sure, but he looked hopeful that I would stay at the Cullen's home tonight. "No. This is fine. I'll be the only one sleeping tonight anyway, right?" I told him.

"Obviously," he said smirking.

"Edward, where are your parents. I don't see any lights on," I asked him.

"Carlisle and Esme are out for the night. They said something earlier about having a night to themselves and making the most of it or something." He looked like he knew more than he was letting on, but I let it go.

"So Edward, can I take a shower? I'm a little gross and I want to clean up before I fall asleep."

"Sure. You can use the shower in my room. That bed is still up there as well. That is, of course, if you don't mind staying in my room tonight," he told me.

"That sounds perfect." I stopped. Did I just say that out loud? "I mean, that makes the most sense. I don't want to sleep in anyone else's bed." Oh my God! My mouth was going to get me in trouble. My cheeks instantly flushed dark red and I headed up the stairs before I could say anything else to make myself blush harder.

I climbed the familiar stairs to Edward's room. I took a deep breath as I opened the door. The room looked exactly the same as the last time I had been in here. I went into the bathroom and took off my dress, hanging it on the hook on the back of the door. I went to the shower and started running the water. I stepped into the shower and let the warm water hit my skin. I stood under the stream for a few seconds before I realized that I had nothing to change into. All my clothing was at Charlie's home. Now what was I supposed to do?

"Edward.." I said sticking my head out of the shower. I got back under the water trying to figure out what exactly to say to him.

He knocked on the door and stuck his head inside the door. "Bella, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Edward, I have no clothes here. What am I supposed to do?" I stuck my heat out the door to look at him as I spoke. I'm sure I was blushing from embarrassment, but I couldn't help it.

"I have some shirts you can wear. Maybe Alice can lend you something when they get back." he told me. There was a weird look in his eyes that I had never seen from Edward before. His eyes looked a shade or two darker.

"Thanks."

I finished my shower, washing my hair with Edward's shampoo. Next to his unique scent, it was one of my favorite scents. I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my body. There was a white shirt lying on the bathroom counter. I hastily dried my body and pulled the shirt on over my head. I unbuttoned the top button and pulled the shirt down as far as it would go. I pulled on my panties from earlier and walked out of the bathroom.

I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. I faced Edward who was sitting on the couch across the room. He looked at me with the same look he had on his face earlier when he was in the bathroom. He took a deep breath and sighed. "So Edward," I began, "How are you?"

He seemed to need a moment to think about the answer to that question, and closed his eyes to think. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked at me. "I'm fine Bella. I'm just not used to being around you anymore. It's been awhile since I've had to think about these feelings," he told me quietly.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?" I asked him sheepishly.

"NO!" he almost screamed. "I mean, I don't mind you being here, I just am not used to being here with you.

"Oh, okay. So…" what do you say to someone you still love, but haven't seen for seven years?

"Bella, you really should get under those covers. I mean, you must be tired." he told me.

"I'm fine actually. That shower woke me up a little. And I'm not warm, so there's no reason for me to get under the covers," I told him. I did, however, lay down on a couple of the pillows and faced him.

He squirmed a little on the couch. I thought I saw his eyes grow a little darker than a second ago. He stared at me for a few seconds, and I could barely breathe. He finally released me with his eyes after a minute. His breathing seemed ragged.

"Edward, do you think you could tell me what's wrong," I asked him.

"Bella, nothing is wrong. But you don't seem to have any idea what kind of effect you are having on me tonight," he said looking at my legs and not my eyes for once.

"Edward, I know my blood calls to you, but if that's a problem, I will go back to Charlie's for the night," I told him.

"Bella, it's not your blood that is calling to me right now. It's not your blood that is making it hard to control myself. It's your body."

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this conversation. I hope you all know that I'm still debating about whether or not to place a lemon in the next chapter. Read and review and let me know whether you want a lemon or not. I've written two versions of the next chapters, and I will not post until I know what you, the readers, want.**

**Keep in mind, I'm still not Stephenie Meyer (although that would be really awesome if I were) therefore I, unfortunately, do not own any of the Twilight series or characters. I did however create this story on my own and am borrowing the Twilight characters. Hope you enjoy!**


	16. Alone with Edward

I stared at him in disbelief. Did he really just say that? Is my body really the cause for his discomfort? "I'm sorry Edward. I didn't realize that I made you uncomfortable. I mean, I didn't realized that my body was that repulsive to him that it would make him so uncomfortable.

I blushed furiously and tried to cover up my body. I didn't want to upset him further.

"Bella, why are you covering yourself?" he asked me. For the first time all evening, he looked me in the eyes.

"I didn't realize that I was upsetting you. I didn't think I'd…" he cut me off before I could go any further.

"Bella, you are under the impression that I'm upset by your body, is that what you think?" he asked me.

"Yes," I whispered.

He sighed. He stood slowly off the couch and then sped to the bed faster than humanly possible. He was a foot from me. He sat beside me and leaned towards me. He stopped just inches from my face. He looked into my eyes and then closed his eyes as he bent to kiss me. His lips touched mine, and I felt that same electric current rush through the kiss and throughout my body. I couldn't control my hands as they reached out and entwined themselves in his hair. Unlike our kisses in the past, Edward didn't pull away. If anything, he pulled himself closer to my body. One of his hands cupped my cheek as he kissed me. His other hand moved down the side of the shirt I was wearing. It moved up and down my side until it came to rest on the hem.

He hesitated for a moment. I pulled away to breathe and looked up into his eyes. They were sparkling. He had a goofy grin on his face as he realized what we had just done. It had been almost seven years, and without saying a word, we were able to let the other know that we still had those same feelings for the other. I reached back up and pulled his lips to mine. We continued to kiss on his bed for a few minutes.

After a few minutes, I felt Edward's tongue on my lips. All of our kisses had always been chaste. I parted my lips and felt Edward's tongue as it found mine. The moment our tongues touched, that electric current felt magnetized. I pulled him closer to me and his hand raced against the shirt, trying desperately to touch more of me. I felt his hand reach the edge of the shirt and move slowly underneath it.

His icy skin touched my flushed flesh. I felt him caress my stomach and my side as we kissed. He moved his fingers along the edge of my panties and up towards my belly button. He just barely grazed my skin in places as our tongues continued to fight for supremacy. Slowly his hand moved up my side until it was sitting just right of my breast. Again, he hesitated. Knowing Edward was waiting for me to give the okay, I kissed him deeper and shifted my body so my check fell into his hand. He seemed surprised but didn't pull away. If anything, he deepened the kiss once again and massaged my breast with his icy hand.

The coolness of his skin on my heated skin felt excruciatingly wonderful. After a few moments, he shifted his weight so he was over top of my and able to use his other hand to massage my left breast. We never broke the kiss besides to take in needed oxygen. We ended up making out until suddenly Edward pulled away from me and sat up on the bed. My face was warm, and my heart was racing. I was about to ask Edward why he stopped when he said in a low, husky voice, "the others are driving up. Knowing Alice, she will be coming up here in a few moments."

I sighed. Alice had a knack for interrupting Edward and I in the past. I would expect nothing less than her doing that tonight. I, however, wasn't about to give up my time with Edward so easily. I ran to the bedroom door and locked it. I turned back to Edward and walked towards the bed. He smiled at me as he watched me with lustful eyes as I neared the bed and him. I crawled next to him and looked up into his darkened eyes.

"Edward," I started, "I've missed you. Yesterday, when I told you was still in love, I meant that I was still in love with you, not Jacob."

"And you still have my heart. I left it with you a long time ago," he told me.

Hearing those words, my heart soared. "Thank you for the flowers. I love you, Edward."

"And I you, my Bella. Rest now. I have a feeling, you will be needing your energy over the next few days," he said before kissing my forehead. He began to move away from the bed.

I sighed. "Edward, will you hold me so I can fall asleep tonight. I want to fall asleep in you arms again."

"Of course, my love. I would love nothing more than holding you as you sleep." He kissed my cheek and, just like the nights seven years ago, he started humming my lullaby. I fought sleep as long as possible, but I never heard the end of the lullaby before I began to dream of Edward and I.

**A/N: thanks to all of you who sent me a review and/or suggestion. I'm so happy to hear your thoughts and wishes for this story. This is my first fanfic and I cannot believe the response to it. I definitely agree that Edward is too much of a gentleman for him and Bella to have had a full-fledged lemon that night, but don't worry, Bella is going to dream now so I will work in a lemon for all of you in the next chapter. The real question will be how our Edward responds to one of Bella's dreams.**

**Read and review please and let me know your thoughts.**


	17. Dream Weaver

**A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for the response for the last two chapters. I am going to write this chapter from both points of view. There is a lemon here in Bella's dream. I hope you all like how Edward responds and what will happen when Bella realizes what happened during her dream. Read and review.**

**Remember, I'm not Stephenie Meyer and unfortunately do not own the Twilght series or characters. (But I wouldn't mind meeting the actors bringing these characters to life!)**

BPOV

_I felt so comfortable in Edward's arm. I listened to his humming as I drifted away from consciousness. I could feel his arms wrapped tightly around me. I knew I was dreaming, but I didn't care. Edward had wrapped me in his arms, and that was a perfect place for me. I opened my eyes and saw Edward's bare torso. My eyes made my way back up to Edward's face. His eyes were dark with lust. Once he realized I was looking at him, he pulled me into a deep kiss. _

_His hands roamed my body, not stopping where material got in the way. The lust in his eyes darkened and intensified as he ripped the material covering my upper body. His hands massaged every inch of my skin as his tongue entered my mouth. His fingers made their way to my chest. He playfully flicked my nipples, causing them to instantly become harder and erect._

_He pulled his mouth away from mine and moved his lips along my jaw. His tongue reached out to lick my neck as be continued moving lower. His mouth traced my collarbone, and he stopped to suck it playfully. After a few minutes he strengthened his force on my collarbone. I knew instantly he had left a mark on my skin, but I didn't care as he started moving further down my body. I reached my hand into his hair and massaged his scalp as his tongue found my breasts. He alternated between the two peaks with his mouth and hands. His tongue would playfully flick and lick my nipples. He stopped to suck each one and nip at them, being careful not to break the skin._

_A moan escaped my lips as he nipped at my nipples. My breathing was becoming quicker and shallower. He grinned up at me before continuing his trail of kisses down my body. He sucked the skin around my belly button, again leaving a mark on the skin just below it. He traced the line of my panties moving from one hip bone to the other, and suddenly the material was gone. He looked up at me as he continued to travel lower placing his kisses all over my skin._

_I felt his lips place a chaste kiss on my folds before he started playing with his tongue. He licked my insides as I moaned his name. His mouth proved that he was my gift from the gods. I could feel the pressure build in my lower abdomen. He continued his kisses until I was screaming out his name. When I came, he lapped up all the juices trying to escape down my legs. As the shudders subsided, I saw Edward ripping his clothing off. He was fully naked within a second._

_He hovered over top of me waiting for my approval. "Edward," I begged. That was all the encouragement he needed. He thrust into me with such force that the bed began to rock back and forth with the movement. My hips bucked to meet his thrusts. I could feel the pressure building again after a few short seconds. Edward leaned down to kiss me, but ended up moaning my name instead. I quickly came a second time. It didn't phase Edward, or even encourage him to slow down. He quickened his pace. I tried to slow down his hips by placing my hands on either side of him. He looked down as he realized what I wanted._

_He pulled out of me as I tried to flip over on top of him. I straddled his hips and lowered myself on him. I wanted to feel his release, I wanted to make him feel as good as he did for me. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my breasts as I bounced up and down on him. He moaned my name again and again. It didn't take long until he was helping me bounce faster than humanly possible. He screamed my name out as he released into me. I collapsed against his body and wrapped my arms around him. We were both sweaty, but we were happy and together._

EPOV

I hummed Bella's lullaby that I had written so long ago. I really should write her a new song, one for the newest chapter of our lives. I want to show her that I will always be a part of her life. I would even consider changing her if it would mean that I would never have to be apart from her. NO! That's selfish. I shouldn't want to take her soul just so I could be with her. It wasn't long before my Bella was sleeping. I wondered if she would dream tonight. I remember seeing her cry in her sleep over the last few years, but my heart hoped that my being here would give her a dream that would make her smile.

It didn't take long before I could tell my Bella was dreaming. My heart soared when I saw the smile on her face. "Edward," she whispered. I couldn't help but smile. My angel was dreaming about me and she was smiling. I noticed her face flush slightly as she dreamed. I started to caress her skin, moving my hand up and down her side as I held her. I would trace patterns on her side and stomach like I had done earlier this evening.

As I touched her skin through the material, I could feel how her body was affecting my own. I stopped moving my hand so I could get my thoughts under control. It was taking all my strength to not make love with Bella earlier, and I wasn't about to do anything while she slept. Suddenly, Bella's hips bucked upwards and she moaned my name. I stopped breathing. Bella had never had this type of dream about me, that I knew of, and it wasn't helping me calm down.

After a few minutes of moaning and staggered breathing Bella screamed out my name. I could smell her arousal and could feel that she was entirely saturated. Her smell was intoxicating. I tried to move away from her so I wouldn't be tempted to assault her in her sleep. She turned so she was lying on her back and I tried to crawl over her to get off the bed. Suddenly, she reached up and grabbed my face. I thought she was awake, but I noticed she was still sleeping. I let her kiss me and did my best to control my body and behave myself.

I felt Bella's hips begin rocking on the bed. OH MY GOD! What were Bella and I doing in her dream? If only I could read her thoughts to see what this fantasy was. Maybe someday I would be able to fulfill this for her. Her hips began rocking harder and she rubbed up against me. I was about to lose control when she screamed my name again. She released me and I crossed the room as fast as possible. It was becoming painful to listen to my angel sleep.

I couldn't take it anymore. I went into the bathroom and turned on the water. I had to get under the cold water. I climbed in the shower and could still hear Bella moaning my name just a few feet away. I began to rub myself. I pictured all the things I wanted to do to Bella and it didn't take me long to cum. I released, saying her name. I could still hear her in the bedroom. I washed as quickly as possible and returned to the bed.

Bella laid on the bed a little sweaty and entirely flushed. I crawled back on the bed and pulled her into a loving embrace. I was a little wet still from my shower, and Bella was sweaty, but we were together and that made me the happiest man on the planet. I held Bella the rest of the night as she slept. I don't think I will ever take her presence for granted, and I wasn't going to let her walk out of my life without a fight.


	18. Waking Up

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. I'm seriously thankful for all of you sending me your reviews and messages. This is my first fanfic, and I'm starting to get an idea for a second story. I'm glad most of you enjoy this story. Reviews make my world go around. Please read and review and let me know your thoughts. I'll try to post the next few chapters by the end of the week. I'd love to finish this story by the time I go on my summer break from school (I'm a teacher, so I get some time to write this summer). Have a good week everyone. **

**BPOV**

When I awoke, I noticed that I was sticky and instantly felt embarrassed. The dream from last night rushed into my brain. I realized immediately that I must have had the same reaction as a couple nights ago. Ugh, why can't I have normal dreams, especially since I was staying in Edward's room and bed last night. I looked up to see Edward smiling down at me.

"Good morning my beautiful Bella," he said lovingly down at me.

"I don't feel so beautiful this morning Edward. But good morning to you too," I said before placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. I began to get up, but Edward stopped me.

"Love, do you remember what you were dreaming about last night?" he asked me.

Oh no! What had I said while I dreamed? What had Edward heard? "I don't know, do you care to refresh my memory by telling me what you heard? It's obvious that you heard something and that's why you're asking." I told him coyly.

"Well, it's not so much what you said, but what you did," he said slowly.

Oh. My. God! "What did I do?" I asked almost hysterically.

"Well, it started with your breathing getting more and more ragged." I placed my head in my hands and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Then, you started moving your body in a rather seductive manner." I'm sure my face would forever be red from this embarrassment. "Not that I'm complaining, it was rather enjoyable to watch, but then you started moaning." I looked at him in horror. What did I moan? "When you started moaning and saying my name and moaning my name, it took every ounce of strength and control not to do something to you, something that…" he sputtered off.

"Oh my God, Edward. I'm so sorry." I stared at him in horror hoping that my dream last night didn't scare him off.

"Love, do you hear me complaining?" he asked me seductively.

"Um, no I don't actually. I just hate testing your control sometimes." I told him sincerely.

"Sometimes. You mean other times you like to push me to my limits?" he asked with a wicked grin on his face.

I grinned back and him and pulled him into a deep, sensual kiss. He deepened the kiss before running his tongue against my lips. I allowed him entry and we kissed each other, relishing in the closeness we had rekindled. He allowed me to breathe briefly before attacking my mouth again. We entwined our legs and fingers with each other's and kissed as the morning sun rose. Edward released one of my hands to fondle my breasts. He rubbed his fingers across my nipples through the material of the shirt. I could feel my body temperature rising as I pushed him away for a moment.

"Are you sure you aren't going to tell me what you dreamed about?" he asked with the same wicked grin plastered on his face.

"I think you have the general idea. I'll just let you use your imagination and see what you come up with," I teased.

He kissed me again and ran his fingers across my chest, stomach, and sides. He was causing me to lose what little self-control I had left. Just as I was starting to feel the pressure building in my abdomen, he moved his hand lower. He reached around and grabbed my thigh with his icy palm. He hitched my leg around his hips and positioned himself slightly above me. I felt his hands race across my skin. He'd start on my waist and move up and down landing on my lower thigh.

I was really about to burst. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, he moved his hand to the inside of my thigh and began to rub circles with his thumb. He rubbed higher and higher. I could feel my excitement building as he inched closer and closer to where I craved he touch me the most. I wanted him to feel my lust and love for him. I wanted him to feel exactly the effect his hands and lips were having on my body.

He was about three inches away when the door burst open and Alice came running into the room. She pulled me out from under Edward and carried me as fast as she could downstairs and into her bedroom. She locked the door and turned to grin at me. She had me trapped in this room, alone.


	19. A Plan in Motion

**A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a long week. I haven't even had time to look at my story in about four or five days. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I only have three more school days left with the kids and then some training days. I will be officially beginning my vacation on next Thursday - and I can't wait. I've already started a blueprint for a second fan fiction with all human characters, so be sure to check that out in a few weeks after this story is completed. **

**Thank you all for the reviews, I love to read them. They really make me smile. I'd love to get 25 reviews for this chapter, so we'll see what happens. I hope you like this chapter. I'm going to make this a little bit longer than previous chapters.**

**I'm not Stephenie Meyer (still) but I'd really like to meet Kellan Lutz. :P**

"Okay, spill it!" Alice bounced excitedly in front of me.

"Um, spill what? You stopped whatever there was to spill," I told her with a pretty impressive pout.

"Relax, Edward was going to stop after a few more seconds, and you were going to get frustrated. However, you mean to tell me that what I interrupted this morning was your first kiss after almost seven years?" she asked me knowingly.

"No, but all we did was kiss last night. That's nothing new for us, even after seven years. Well, I guess that's entirely accurate. He did allow our tongues to kiss this time." With each word flowing from my lips, I knew my face was growing more and more red. By the time I finished, I'm sure my face resembled a tomato rather than a face.

Alice screamed. This caused about three of her siblings to come running into the room, including Edward. Edward, Rose, and Jasper entered the room looking to see the cause of Alice's scream, which just made me blush deeper. "Rose," Alice screamed, "you should be in here, this is a story you need to hear. The rest of you need to leave and not listen in."

Because Rose missed my first time through the story, I told her everything up until where I left off with Alice. Rose, although she didn't scream, did look amused by my story. Then, she looked at Alice and they both got an evil glint in their eyes. They both leaned towards me and began whispering their plan to have Edward begging me to be his, in every way possible. I had to admit, it was borderline evil, but it would work, there were no doubts there.

Alice gave me an outfit to wear back to Charlie's. It was a little skimpy, but it covered everything necessary. I walked downstairs with Alice who promised to drive me home. My only instructions were to give everyone a hug goodbye but not to kiss Edward more than on the cheek. I was supposed to be a little distant from him for a couple days. By doing this, Edward would be forced to act, and he may just go farther than even he expected to let himself go.

We were greeted in the living room by all the remaining Cullens. I gave Carlisle and Esme hugs goodbye. Esme kissed my cheek and told me to return as soon as possible. Jasper reached out and kissed my hand. It amazed me how after all these years, Jasper still struggled with being around me. Emmett then grabbed me and pulled me off the ground and into a bone-crushing hug. Just when I was sure I would lose consciousness, he released me. My face was red from the lack of oxygen, but I was happy to know he missed me. Lastly, Edward grabbed my hand and led me out of the door. He grinned down at me and told me he would see me soon. He bent down to kiss me and I turned my face at the last second so his lips landed on my cheeks. He seemed shocked as I turned away from him and ran to Alice's car.

As we pulled out of the driveway, he stared at me in shock. I don't think there was ever a time when I was more grateful that he could not hear my thoughts. If this plan was going to work, then he was going to have to believe the "hard-to-get" act. Alice drove like the rest of the Cullens so we got back to Charlie's in a matter of minutes. She dropped me off at the curb and told me to work on my article. She promised to return the next evening to help me get ready for the reunion. She also told me that it might be a good idea to call Mike Newton and see if he wanted to get dinner tonight. My jaw practically bounced off the ground when I realized she wanted me to accept a date offer with Mike.

I went up to take another shower and get to work on my article. I sat down at the desk and picked up the phone to call Mike. Needless to say, Mike was a little enthusiastic about going to dinner tonight. He promised to pick me up in the Suburban tonight at 6. I hung up with Mike and logged onto the Internet to check my email. There was an impatient email from my editor, practically begging me to call him. I got my cell phone out and called the office.

My editor wanted me to send in another article today. Then in two days they would run the piece on the actual reunion. He was also sending a photographer to get pictures of the people I was mentioning over and over in these articles. Apparently, the readers in Seattle were loving my work. I was ecstatic. I didn't know exactly what this article would be about, but I got to work anyway. I was about halfway done when Charlie came up to see what I was working on. He began reading over my shoulder. I had gone into details about seeing Alice and Mike. I also was planning on mentioning my date with Mike in this article. I would give the readers an update in the next article.

Charlie reminded me of the time and I saw that it was about 40 minutes until Mike would show up. I ran to the bathroom to put on some make up and style my hair. I wanted to look nice, even if Mike wasn't the guy I wanted to look nice for. I went to my closet and grabbed the yellow dress. I thought it would be a nice outfit for dinner. Just as I was zipping up the back, I heard the doorbell ring. I gave myself one last look in the mirror and headed down the stairs.

Mike was waiting at the bottom of the stairs politely talking with Charlie. Charlie was acting like we were teenagers again, because he was interrogating Mike as to where we were going and when I would be home. It was actually kind of cute to hear and see.

"Geez, Dad, why don't you frisk him while you're at it," I said jokingly to Charlie.

"Wow, Bella you look beautiful," Mike told me.

I blushed slightly and took his arm that he had offered to me. "I'll be home late tonight Charlie. I have a key, so you don't need to wait up," I told my father.

Mike walked me to his car and we pulled away from the curb. He talked animatedly about what had happened at the store in the last couple days. He also told me about who we would be seeing at the reunion the following night. I guess Jessica Stanley had given him a call today as well. He seemed interested in how my life was going and definitely asked the questions that showed he was thoroughly interested. He actually listened to my responses and made comments from there. When I suggested we catch a movie to make up for that horrible movie we missed six years ago, his excitement reminded me of Alice's.

We saw a comedy, which was kind of a relief that there wasn't a romance playing. I don't know if I was taking this evening too far, but I was having fun. I did find myself thinking of Edward a lot on the way home. I wondered where he was, and what he was doing. I wondered if he was thinking of me. I wondered what his reaction to my date with Mike would be. Mike pulled up to Charlie's house and came around to the passenger side before I could get my things gathered and reach the door. Mike walked me to the front door. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. I blushed slightly and turned to go inside.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mike?"

"Will you save me a dance tomorrow night at the reunion?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

"We'll see Mike. I guess it just depends on how I'm doing in my high heels and how many offers I get," I joked with him. I smiled at him once more and went inside. I could hear Charlie's snores upstairs already and headed towards my bedroom. I opened the door to my bedroom and walked inside. I almost screamed when I saw Edward laying on my bed.

**Read and review please!**


	20. Edward's Thoughts

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. I hope you liked it. I want to thank quite a few of you who suggested to me that I write the next chapter from Edward's point of view. Thanks so much for letting me know what you want to read. I'm happy to add this chapter into the story so you all can see and read what Edward is really thinking. Part of me wanted him to fly of the handle, but I think you'll like how I have him portrayed in this chapter, at least I hope so.**

**Anywhoo, I am hoping for lots and lots of reviews (I know, I sound corny, but hey, it's just me) Read and review and let me know what you think.**

**If only, if only… I am not Stephenie Meyer, but I really wish I was. She owns all these characters and the fabulous TWILIGHT series. AMAZING. Hope you like the story I developed with her characters.**

**EPOV**

I watched her as she walked down the steps and towards Alice's car. How could she just walk away from me and only kiss my cheek? Maybe I had misunderstood what had been happening upstairs in my bedroom last night and this morning. Last night. Bella had been having a sex dream about me. And those kisses last night and this morning. I cannot believe I ever considered leaving her all that time ago. She should have been mine this entire time. She should have been with me. I didn't want to consider the possibility that I may have caved by now and had Carlisle change her. That is, if she didn't want me to do it myself. I'm sure that with the right training and supervision, I could have done it. I wouldn't want to condemn her, but I just don't see myself surviving without her anymore. How in the world would I be able to give her up now.

And yet, there she goes with my sister. She doesn't even glance back at me as she gets into the car with Alice. As Alice backs away I did see Bella steal a glance in my direction, but I couldn't have been sure. I watched the car drive away and I desperately tried to hear the thoughts that must have been in her head. Alice was blocking me by singing an annoying NSYNC song. My eyes darkened in anger and I knew I should hunt before I did something rash and destructive.

I called to my brothers. I figured if I was going hunting they would enjoy the trip as well. Jasper and Emmett were beside me in a second. We took off in a run and were hundreds of miles away within an hour. We were somewhere in Western Canada and had been successful in quenching our thirsts. We sat on the floor of the forest where I could hear their thoughts, but I didn't acknowledge them. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to talk about what I was feeling just yet.

_So are you going to sleep with her or what, Eddie_ Emmett thought crudely. His thoughts raced to the various things him and Rose had done in hopes of giving me ideas. I kept my face stoic. Because I didn't react to his inappropriate thoughts of my sister he changed to thinking about what Bella would be like. I growled reflexively. He had many pictures stuck in his head about Bella, too many for someone who was married to another woman.

"I wonder what Rose would say if she heard about these fantasies Emmett. Maybe I'll have to go back and tell her about them," I said from my crouch.

I was suddenly on my back, as Emmett had launched himself on top of me, keeping me from moving. Soon we were wrestling around on the forest floor. Occasionally Jasper would join in the fun and give one of us a momentary break from the fight. Soon we were all out of breath and lying on our backs looking up into the canopy above us. We sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for the others to speak. My thoughts went back to Bella.

"Why didn't she kiss me?" I spat out my question in anger. "I mean, we were… That is to say, I was sure we were going to get back together. I was sure she felt the same way still. For her to just walk away from me this morning with only a peck on the cheek… I don't get it. Did I do something wrong…" my rant died out in the end as I started contemplating the answers to each of the questions I'd left hanging in the air. What if my Bella didn't feel the same about me anymore. I mean, she had been married to another, well man would be a loose label for Jacob, but she had given herself to another. Why would she want me after all this time. She had done what I'd asked her to, she'd moved on. Granted, I really had only wanted her to be happy, not to have Jacob imprint and leave her heartbroken. My thoughts were as broken as the questions I'd asked but my brothers interrupted them nonetheless.

"Edward, Bella was feeling conflicted this morning. She also had a lot of those same feelings she did before we moved. At the same time, I sensed fear radiating from her. I don't know what was causing the fear, I mean, it could have been a threat from Alice to go shopping, but hey…" Jasper joked with me. His assessment of the situation did little to calm my nerves. I realized that Bella still had some of the same feelings towards me, but that kiss didn't make sense then.

"Eddie," Emmett began, "I have a feeling that Bella is playing you. She wants you back in a major way, but wants to be sure you feel the same. I mean, you were pretty harsh with her when we left Forks before. Maybe she just wants you to make the first move this time. She's put herself out there in the past, you should do that now. Let he know exactly how you feel. SHOW her what you feel. Trust yourself to be in control, but show her exactly how much you want her in your life. Leave the talking for another time, use action instead."

I thought about both of their perspectives and realized that they were right. Bella was probably just scared of being rejected again. I had hurt her. Jake had hurt her. She had every reason to be wary of showing her feelings to someone again. I noticed that the sun was starting to fall in the sky. I stood up and Jasper and Emmett followed my lead. We began running faster than we did this morning. Our return trip seemed so much shorter because of that. When we returned to the house, I immediately went to my room to take a shower. I wanted to look presentable to Bella when I got to her house tonight. I knew Charlie would be in the house, but I didn't care. I would bring Bella somewhere where I would show her exactly how I felt towards her.

Just thinking about what I wanted to do with her made my lower half ache. I quickly changed the water in the shower to cold, trying desperately to alleviate the problem. In the end, the only way to fix the problem was to stop thinking and fantasizing about Bella. I washed my body and shampooed my hair in a rush. I was excited to get over to Bella's tonight. I wanted to see her. I missed her and I wanted, no needed, to be with her tonight. I dried and dressed myself in an outfit that I knew Bella would love. I was out the door in my Volvo before anyone could speak to me.

I noticed that Alice's car was back in the driveway, which meant Bella should have been home. I decided to drive over there, but would stop at a florist before arriving at Charlie's house. I got a bouquet of multi-colored roses to give to her. The remainder of the drive was uneventful, although if my heart was still beating, I'm sure it would have been amusing to listen to. It would have been erratic at best. I pulled to a stop in front of Charlie's home and raced up the walk, ringing the bell in a quick motion.

I could hear Charlie's thoughts through the door. He seemed upset that someone would interrupt the game, but confused as to who it would be. The door swung open seconds later and he gaped at me before the blood rushed to his neck and face. The anger was apparent in his eyes, but he kept his voice as steady as possible.

"What do YOU want, Cullen?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"I came to see Bella. I heard she was in town, and thought it would be nice to catch up and see how she has been, sir."

He gaped at me for a second or two before a smug expression crossed his face. It was then that the picture of Bella in a beautiful yellow dress caught my attention. The beautiful image quickly became a nightmare as I saw through Charlie's eyes Mike Newton take her hand and walk her down the sidewalk. "She's not here Edward. She had a date tonight. A nice gentleman decided to sweep her off her feet for the evening. I don't know if she's even coming home tonight." He added the last part in the vain attempt to upset me. It was unnecessary, as I was already upset by the fact that Bella was one, not home and two, out on a date with the loathsome Mike Newton.

"I see," I managed to say through gritted teeth. "Well, please tell her I stopped by tonight. I won't keep you from whatever you were doing Charlie. Have a pleasant evening." I walked back towards my car in defeat. Maybe I really had misread the signs in my room. Maybe my heart was playing tricks on me and wishful thinking had clouded my judgment. I drove away and headed back to the house. Alice was sitting on the porch waiting for me when I returned.

"Oh Edward, you are so dense sometimes it's scary. Do you really think Bella wants to be out with Mike Newton tonight? Didn't you see her pout this morning? Are you really that dumb?" she asked me.

"Alice what in the world are you even talking about?" I asked her trying to play dumb.

"Listen Edward. I had a long talk with Bella in the car and in my room this morning. Bella is still in love with you. If you can't see that, then you really are blind, or a moron. Either way, it serves you right for leaving the girl six years ago. She shouldn't have ever married Jacob, she should be one of us by now, and your stubborn ass let her slip right through his fingers. So now I'm going to ask you what you intend to do to resolve this situation. You two are meant to be together, and if you ruin this opportunity, so help me, I'll kill you myself," she ranted to me.

It took me a second or two to process what she was saying. I mean, she kept reminding what her and Bella had talked about, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I had been living, well if you can call it living, without Bella officially a part of my life for almost seven years. Who was I to believe that I deserved her love, her time, her soul, or her body. Alice stared expectantly at me. "Tell me what I should do, Ali," I said with a sigh.

Alice launched herself into a plan of action to get Bella to fall heads over heels for me again (even more than she already was). Her plan involved me going over to Bella's house tonight and waiting for her to return from her date. When she got home I was supposed to allow myself to kiss her and hold her through the night but not let it go further than that. I agreed to that, but then I realized that if something happened in the moment, there was nothing Alice, or anyone for that matter, could do to stop it except Bella and I. I didn't know if I would have the strength to stop it either, so, unfortunately, that left Bella in control. I felt better about the events of the day and evening as I ran back over to Bella's house. I had left her flowers sitting at home, but figured I could give those to her another time. Tomorrow perhaps. I climbed through her window and waited for my love to return home.

I was lying on her bed for an hour when I heard Mike drive up. I could hear his thoughts and I had to laugh at his logic. Apparently, he figured Bella was going to rip his clothes off there on the sidewalk and bring him to her room for the night. I only wish I could hear Bella's thoughts, if only to decipher exactly what she was thinking in this type of situation. I heard them talking and heard Mike debate with himself about kissing Bella. He seemed elated with a simple peck on the cheek, but I really couldn't blame the guy. Bella had a way of creating knots in the heartstrings that only she could unravel. I heard the door close downstairs and I waited the last few seconds for her to climb her way up here. When the door opened, I knew she hadn't seen me. I unbuttoned the top three buttons on my shirt and tried to look upset with her when she would turn around.

I heard her gasp, followed by her heart restarting itself from the shock of seeing me lying in her bed. I stood up and crossed the room, ready to pounce on my prey. I could only hope that Bella wanted me as bad as I wanted her.

**A/N: It's a bit long, but I figured I would give you an extra long glimpse into what our Edward is thinking about. Read and review and let me know if I should stick with just Bella's story or incorporate more people's thoughts. Much love to you amazing readers!**


	21. Memorizing Bodies

**Hello everyone! Thanks to all of you who have sent your reviews. I'm finished with the school year now. I am so excited, it's unreal. Each year I finish teaching, it never gets any easier to say goodbye to the same students who drive me utterly insane each day they are in my classroom. I'm planning on finishing this story by the end of June and starting my second piece of fanifcion based on events that have touched my life personally. I hope you like it when I get it posted. Look for it around the 4th of July (all characters will be human for that story).**

**Anyway, most of you have stated that you enjoy hearing from and reading the story from Edward's point of view, so I figured the next chapter or two would have some of his thoughts and actions as seen through his eyes for your reading pleasure. I hope that you all like the next couple chapters (and of course the remainder of the story). There will be some lemons posted soon, I promise. So all of you reviewing and messaging me asking for some, your wish is my command.**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I still don't own the characters or TWILIGHT (and I refuse to read the first chapter of Breaking Dawn until August 2nd. December 12th will be the best day of the year though when we all get to finally see the movie.**

**BPOV**

_I_ stood frozen by my bedroom door as he closed the distance between us at an incredibly slow pace. My eyes noticed the longing and lust that filled his. They were dark as they took in my body's appearance. I watched his eyes long enough to see them memorize the lines of my face, then my shoulders and collarbone. They moved lower toward my chest and stayed there, staring at the skin covering where my pounding heart was. I could only imagine the effect my thumping heart was having on Edward. They traveled still lower to my waist and down to the exposed skin on my legs. They came back up and peered intensely at the lace appliqué around my waist. He was staring hard enough that I was sure he trying to see through the material.

It was the I tore my eyes away from his perfect face and traveled down his chiseled body. I noticed he was enticing me by leaving the top half of his shirt's buttons undone and hanging open. I could see his perfectly pale skin over his toned muscles. The thought of touching his skin started to instantly raise my body temperature. I'm sure he could see the blood rushing towards my cheeks and the surface of my skin in general as I continued to gawk at his perfection. I tore my eyes away from his chest to look back at his face. He was still looking at the skin that was left exposed in this dress. I dragged my eyes downward again and noticed for the first time that Edward's pants seemed extremely snug, his desire for my body obvious. My eyes practically bugged out of the sockets when I realized his massive size. My dreams in the last few nights had not even come close to doing him justice. It was then that the purse I had in my hands dropped with a thud to the floor.

He had reached my body by the time I had taken in all of him. I brought my eyes back to his and noticed my favorite crooked grin was on his face. His lips crashed into mine almost ruthlessly. I could feel the desire pulsing through his lips and everywhere our skin touched each other. He picked me up, never breaking our embrace or kiss. My legs wrapped around his waist as he carried me across the room and set me on my bed. I could hear him groan as my legs pulled him as close as possible to me. I could see his uncertainty as he looked down at my body once more on the bed. He seemed to be debating about how or whether to continue. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards me, hoping that he would take that as my approval of the situation. Edward slowly crawled on top of me, never letting his full weight hit me. He hovered above me as he kissed me passionately. I could feel his hands begin to roam my body. I felt ecstatic when his hand found the hem of my dress and began raising it up my leg. His skin touched mine under the dress's material and wherever he touched me, my skin felt like it was on fire. He inched his hand across my skin under the dress's material and tortured me with his excruciating pace on my skin.

I was breathing heavily and often small moans and whimpers would escape my lips. Edward captured my lips again and our mouths moved harmoniously for long minutes. We only parted lips so I could take a breath before his lips crashed back into mine. I had to smile to myself as I realized how well Alice's plan was working. I could feel Edward's desire pulsing and throbbing around my stomach as more of his weight fell on top of me. I realized in that moment that I didn't want to stop kissing him tonight. I wanted to do more than kiss him if I was being perfectly honest with myself. I wanteed him to take me and make me his tonight. It was then that I felt a vibrating object in Edward's pocket. He groaned, not out of pleasure, and rolled off the bed before answering the phone.

**EPOV**

When the door opened, I knew she hadn't seen me. I unbuttoned the top three buttons on my shirt and tried to look upset with her when she would turn around. I heard her gasp, followed by her heart restarting itself from the shock of seeing me lying in her bed. I stood up and crossed the room, ready to pounce on my prey. I could only hope that Bella wanted me as bad as I wanted her. I stalked over to where Bella was standing. I moved excruciatingly slow, even for a human. I had to praised my self-control, especially since I had lived this long without this goddess in my life for almost seven years. I wanted to take my time, if only for her benefit.

I wanted her to see her eyes when she realized the effect her body had on my own. I wanted her to take in every inch of me. In that moment, like many moments before, I would have given my soul to hear her thoughts, just to ensure that she wanted me as I wanted her. I wanted to hear her thoughts as I stalked towards her. I knew my eyes were dark with desire, despite the hunting trip earlier that day. I raked my eyes over every line on her face, committing it to my permanent memory.

Her face was starting to color with each passing pulse of her blood. Her eyes seemed locked with mine. I broke that eye lock and looked at another part of her body. I started by taking in the skin that was exposed above the dress. Her shoulders and collarbone called to me. I could almost see the blood pulsing below the surface. I could almost see every vein, every artery. My eyes started traveling downward. They rested on her chest. I wanted to see what was below the dress. My bloodlust was nothing for the lust I felt for her body. I wanted to reach out and grab her breast. To fondle in both hands and eventually place both in my mouth, teasing them with my tongue. I stared at her chest longer than a gentleman should before tearing my eyes away and moved them downward. I noticed the lace wrapped around his waist, how accented her curves and made he, if possible, more beautiful, more sexy. I forced them lower, taking a large gulp of my venom, now pooling in my mouth. Her skirt flared slightly, covering her upper legs and hips. I again noticed lace, this time on the bottom of the dress. The thought of lace, pared with the sight of her bare legs, made me think of what Bella was wearing underneath the dress.

I stared intently at the lace around her waist thinking only of the material hidden underneath the dress and what was hidden below that material. My thoughts became more and more unlike those of a gentleman's as I began to fantasize about Bella out of the dress. Although she looked exquisite in that yellow, I hoped for more black lace below the dress. I wanted to know every square inch of her skin before she let me be hers fully. A small thud drew my attention back to the rest of Bella's body when I saw she had dropped her purse. I brought my eyes back to her face and noticed that she was staring below my belt. I had to grin at her expression. She was apparently shocked at exactly how turned on I was by her body. Her eyes were practically falling out of their sockets. She also had an almost goofy grin on her face.

I couldn't control myself any longer. I had reached her in my trek across her room. I crashed my lips into hers, hoping she could feel all of my desire for her. I hoped she would realize that my desire had nothing to do with the blood flowing under her skin, but the body that encased that blood. I needed to show her my desire. I picked her up with ease, wanting to carry her off into the night. I would settle for the bed across the room. I could easily be over there in less than a second, but would take my time with Bella. I could feel her wrap her legs around my waist as I moved across the room. Her legs captured my hips and pulled me closer toward her center. I groaned into her mouth and almost lost it. I wanted to rip our clothing off and take her, take her now. I reached the bed and set her down on top of it. I stared down at her. She was beautiful and I got lost looking at her. My only concern was where to join her on the bed, on top of her, beside her.

She reached out and grabbed my shirt. She pulled me towards her with a small smirk on her face as she looked up into my eyes. This made my decision for me. I crawled on top of her body, keeping in mind that she was fragile. I kept my weight off her by holding myself over her with my arms. I crashed my lips towards her with all my passion that I had kept hidden and locked away in seven years. Still keeping myself off of my beauty, I began to let my hands roam her skin. She was flushed and I wanted to feel her warmth everywhere on her skin. I moved up and down her sides, I felt her cheeks, I touched everywhere I could. I moved my hand lower until I found her hemline. As I moved my hands, small whimpers and groans were released into my mouth. The lace there brought up my less noble thoughts again and I wanted to feel her more. I began grasping at her legs and thighs. Trying not to scare her, I moved up her legs slowly. She continued to whimper as her breathing became more erratic and heavy. I was about to find out exactly what type of material was lying underneath the dress when my cell phone began vibrating. I groaned, too loudly, and rolled off my love. I pulled the phone out of my pocket to see that an evil pixie was calling to interrupt us.

"What is it, Alice?" I grumbled in a low tone into the phone.

"_Stop what you are doing Edward Masen Cullen. If you value your life and more importantly, Bella's stop what you are about to do!" Alice was practically shouting into the phone. I was frustrated and mad and upset._

"_Alice, what are you even talking about? Are you telling me, that I'm going to hurt her?" My worst fears were that if I ever gave in to my desires that Bella's fragile body would be the thing to pay the price. I would do whatever it took to ensure that she was never hurt._

"_No, that's not what I saw. Bella would have enjoyed the experience very much. So much so, that her screams would have awoken Charlie. You two were going to wake him up in the middle of the night. He would have burst into her room thinking she was being attacked by a monster, and come running with his gun."_

_I had to interrupt her. "Alice, you know I'd move fast enough that he wouldn't shoot me. So besides the terrible embarrassment, there wasn't a problem. Bella would have been happy, you ruined it for us." It took all my control not to shout into the phone at her._

"_NO EDWARD!! The problem wouldn't be that you would get shot…" she paused. Whatever she saw was making her upset, I could hear it in her voice. "Edward… Charlie would have missed you, but he would have shot his daughter. Bella would have…" she stopped, terror almost gripping her voice._

_My heart would have stopped at that thought, that is, if it hadn't stopped 80 years prior. I would have been the reason my Bella would die. "Alice…" I whispered._

"_Chill, Romeo. You know she wants you. You two just have to restrain yourselves and be patient. You'll have eternity to be with one another. Go take a cold shower and have Bella do the same. Bye!" She almost seemed chipper when she hung up._

"_You've got to be freaking kidding me…" I practically gaped at the phone. I slammed the phone closed and returned it to my pocket. I stood from the bed. I looked down at my angel as she pouted on the bed. I stood up and faced away from her. I needed to get myself under control. I buttoned my shirt up to the top and took a few more unneeded breaths. When I turned around, Bella looked hurt. Her eyes looked on the verge of crying. I couldn't bear to see her do that. I turned to her and rushed to her side, cradling her in my arms. _

"_Bella, love… Alice saw us, she saw the results of us doing this here tonight. It would have been disastrous. Charlie would have rushed into the room with a gun and…" I couldn't continue. The visual in my head brought a choking sob to my throat. "I couldn't let anything bad happen to you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to you."_

_She looked up at me with her chocolate brown eyes as silent tears fell down her cheek. I pulled her close to me. I would have to settle for holding her tonight as she slept. "Bella, do you want me to leave?" I asked her as she buried her head into my chest._

_She looked up, panicked. "No! I mean, please just stay here. I mean, I…" she paused and looked up at me, unsure what to say… "Did you even want me, not just my blood, but me?"_

"_Bella, I barely noticed your blood tonight. Your body was too captivating. You should know that tonight I wanted your body more than anything else. I wanted to make you mine and give myself to you. I wanted to make you come in ecstasy and scream out for more, which I would happily give you. I wanted nothing but you." I hoped my speech didn't frighten her. The next thing I knew, her lips were crashing into mine. I felt her relax in my arms and pull me close to her._

"_Bella, love, you really need to stop doing that, or we are going to be in the same situation we were before Alice called. Besides, you are tired and need to rest." As I said this, she yawned reluctantly. I laughed quietly as she looked upset with herself. "Do you want me to let you go so you can change?"_

"_I should probably go change. Do you mind if I change in here, instead of walking to the bathroom?" she looked up with tired eyes. I couldn't say no to her so I nodded to let her know that would be fine. I knew I would have to face away from her to keep my actions in check tonight though. I released her so she could change. After a couple minutes, she returned to my arms and nestled herself next to me. I hummed a song that I had written for her, not the lullaby she was used to, but a new piece I've been working on for the last two years. She fell asleep in my arms with a smile plastered on her face. I kissed both of her cheeks and left to take a quick cold shower so I could return to her embrace before sunrise._


	22. Author's Note

**A/N: Thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm so honored that you all are taking the time to read and let me know your thoughts. I know I've promised a lemon, but you won't be disappointed when it shows up next chapter. This chapter will be a bit longer, because I wanted to give some details through Bella's eyes what seeing the evil Lauren and Jessica will be like. I also hope you all have checked out her amazing blue dress on the website. I'm currently looking for the perfect piece of lingerie for Bella and Edward's first time. Feel free to send me links to pictures that you think would be perfect for the couple with your review of this chapter.**

**I promise that the next chapter will be long, with juicy details, and enjoyable to read, but I really need you help finding the lingerie. Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated.**

**Thanks!**

**Lisa**


	23. Last Minute Preparations

**DISCLAIMER: I'm not her, stop asking. Stephenie Meyer is a goddess. Thank you Ms. Meyer for creating these wonderful characters Ms. Meyer.**

**Now on with the story…**

BPOV

I woke up to the sun streaming through the windows. The sunrise was beautiful, but the best part of waking up was feeling Edward's strong, chiseled arms wrapped around my small frame. I could hear him taking in unnecessary breaths. As I shifted slightly on the bed, I heard him sigh happily.

"Good morning my beautiful Bella. How did you sleep?" he asked me as I opened my eyes to look up at him.

"Wonderfully. I had the most perfect man holding me. How could I not sleep well. How was your night? See or hear anything interesting" I asked him coyly. I don't remember dreaming last night, but that's no guarantee that I didn't talk or do something embarrassing in my sleep.

"Actually, it was just pleasantly quiet as I listened to you breathing. You heart kept a steady pace all night long. I went home briefly to shower and change, but other than that, it was perfect just holding you in through the night. You know what this means, however?" he asked me as he placed a kiss on each cheek and my forehead.

"What does this mean Edward?"

"It means that for every night until eternity I will hold you. I'm not letting you lay down without my arms wrapped securely around you."

I inwardly screamed. Until eternity? Did this mean that my fantasy from many years ago of becoming immortal and staying with Edward forever was what he wanted? Did he want me for eternity? Or was he just using that word to mean until I grew old and died? I wouldn't press this issue this morning. I had learned this lesson many years ago. I would keep us away from that impasse if at all possible. I looked up at Edward, realizing that he would want some sort of response to his comment. "Edward, that's all I can ask for," I told him before reaching up to kiss his perfect lips. Before long, our hands were entwined as our mouths moved together in harmony.

There was a brief knock on the door at that time, and Alice came bursting into the room. We broke apart instantly, and Edward was on the opposite side of the room before I could even blink. I sat up to face Alice as she assessed the situation in the room. "Let's go Bella, you have some more things to get before the reunion tonight, and I'm going to make sure you are dressed, done up, and looking fabulous before 5 tonight when you have to leave to be at the reunion." She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of bed toward the door. I was stunned to say the least.

"Alice, um, can I at least get dressed in normal clothes before you pull me out of my bedroom and house?" I asked her.

"Oh, yeah, well hurry it up will you," she told me shortly. "Edward, I need a word with you out in the hall please." The little pixie and Edward started at each other for a brief moment before Edward took two steps towards the door. He stopped beside me and kissed my cheek before leaving my room.

Once the door was shut, I ran to my closet and pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans and T-shirt. I figured Alice would criticize any outfit I put on anyways, I might as well be as comfortable as possible. I had nothing left to purchase for the reunion, so I had no idea what Alice was thinking, but I knew it wasn't wise to argue with her. It would just be a waste of time and energy. I pulled a brush through my hair and went towards the door where I was surprised to only see Edward standing there. He pulled me into a tight, loving embrace, kissing the sides of my neck before placing a deep kiss on my lips. "Have fun and know I'm thinking of you always," he told me.

We walked down the stairs and out the front door. Alice was waiting in her car and pushed the horn to get me to move faster. Once I was in the car, she was speeding off towards Port Angeles. I barely had my seat belt fastened when she started talking about all the things I was going to need for tonight.

"Bella, you are going to need an amazing corset underneath your dress tonight, just to make sure all your curves are where you want them to be. I was thinking about getting a blue one, especially since you're wearing the blue dress. Besides, if anyone wants to see what kind of lingerie you're wearing below the dress, well… let's just say that blue may be their favorite color." She said this last part with a knowing, wicked grin on her face.

"Alice, I have no idea what you are talking about," I said, trying to be indifferent.

"Yeah, right Bella. I saw what would've happened last night if I hadn't called you two to break up what you would later tell me was just a steamy make out session. Please remember, I do have your best interests at heart here," she told me.

"I know you think you do Alice, but I mean… Maybe you should stay out of this relationship a little. I mean, it's not like anything tragic would've happened last night. Edward wouldn't have hurt me, would he?" I asked unsure of the answer for the first time.

"He wouldn't have, but Charlie with a gun would have. You would either be dead or going through a painful three-day process right now. I'm not sure which would have been chosen last night." She sighed and looked over at me with large eyes. "Bella, your first time with Edward should be perfect, away from everyone else. Trust me on this one."

"Fine Alice. Where are you taking me anyways?"

She had stopped in front of a very busy mall. We walked towards the mall as she led me towards a lingerie store. I took a deep breath as we entered the store. Alice was already bouncing ahead of me towards a rack of corsets, panties, and garters. My eyes practically bugged out at the thought of me in any of those get ups. "Alice, there is no way you are getting me to dress up like a dominatrix. NO WAY IN HELL!"

Alice looked shocked at my tone and language and then giggled. "Silly Bella, not all corsets come with whips and chains. Some are actually very pretty. Besides the main purpose is just to hold everything in place." To prove her point she held up a pretty blue corset with matching panties. It had a small floral design on it with clasps up the length of the front (**picture on my profile)** Alice began finding panty hose that would attach to the corset and look great against my skin and the dress. I had to admit, when she held up the finished products I was smiling at the look Edward would give me if he saw me in that.

Alice smirked and took my smile as all the approval she needed. She started heading towards the register to purchase lingerie for me. I walked slowly behind her when I noticed a rack of babydolls. Knowing Edward liked blue, I grabbed the first blue one I saw and pulled it off the rack. It was pretty shear, but it looked beautiful. Truth be told, I never really bought anything like this before, even when I was married to Jacob. He usually didn't mind me in a simple bra and panties. I smiled to myself as I carried the babydoll to the register. Alice was finishing up when I reached her. I paid for the second piece of lingerie and Alice nodded in approval at my choice. "He'll love it," she whispered in my ear as she pointed to her eyes. I had to giggle with embarrassment at the thought of her seeing me with Edward.

We walked around for a while after that, just talking and catching up on all the many things that I'd missed out on. I only hoped that I wouldn't have to miss out on anything more in their lives. I was back to being the Bella I had been when Edward and I were together the first time. Alice explained to me why they had left the first time, which was understandable, but didn't help me forget the pain his absence had caused. I sighed, hoping that Edward wouldn't do the same this time and leave me behind. I don't think I would be able to bear that kind of heartache again.

After a quick lunch, Alice had us back in the car driving way to quickly towards Forks. She drove back to Charlie's house so she could help me get ready for the reunion. She made a quick phone call to Rose and told me to get into the shower immediately. Rose and Alice would work together to get my hair and makeup done and perfect for the night's events. They would also help me get dressed, even though I tried to protest that portion of their help.

I jumped into the shower and quickly washed through my hair. After I rinsed off all of my body, I shut the water off and grabbed a towel to dry with. I had barely wrapped the towel around myself when a blur of white came streaking into the bathroom. Alice grabbed my hands and pulled me at vampire speed into my bedroom. Rose was already there, sitting at my desk and looking around my room. She stood when we entered, allowing Alice to push me into the chair. Both Rose and Alice began working on my hair and makeup. Alice started by drying my hair and then set it up in curlers. I listened to them debate on the best method for making me over. I began to tune them out so I could daydream about Edward. I imagined what would happen if he saw me in that babydoll once again. I was sad that Edward would not be attending the reunion with me tonight, but it was to be expected since he never graduated with us.

I looked over at the clock to see it was almost 4:15. I couldn't believe how fast the time had gone. My makeup was done, but my hair was still in curlers. Alice had me stand up so they could get me dressed in the corset and dress before they finished my hair. I grumbled as they stripped me of my towel and pulled out the lingerie that would accompany my dress this evening. Rose commented Alice on her choice and said that she would have to get one just like it. The slide the corset around me and began clasping me into the garment. I was allowed to put the panties on myself. Soon they were helping me into the panty hose and connecting them to the corset so they wouldn't fall throughout the night. When all the lingerie was on and in place, they stood back to admire their work. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as fast as my heart pumped it. Alice clapped her hands as she bounced up and down with excitement. Then she pulled my gown out of the closet. Her and Rose helped me into the dress and shoes so I didn't kill myself. I was told to sit back down after I was dressed so Alice could take the curlers out and finish my hair. After ten minutes, my hair was clipped and curly. I was finally allowed to look in the mirror and the woman staring back at me shocked me. I was beautiful, even standing next to Alice and Rose. I just hoped that Lauren and Jessica would be able to eat their hearts out tonight. I hugged Edward's sisters and thanked them immensely for all their help tonight.


	24. The Reunion

**A/N: Well everyone, we're up to the reunion. Thanks to all of you who sent me suggestions for lingerie. I hope you like the choice(s) I made. I also hope that you have enjoyed the buildup to the main event of Bella's trip. Tonight is the reunion, and you'll just have to read to see what happens. Look for a lemon in the VERY NEAR FUTURE… (wink wink, nudge nudge….) **

**Still not Stephenie Meyer… **

I walked out to my car and took a deep breath before starting the engine. I drove across town thinking of how wonderful this trip had turned out. If it hadn't been for that invitation, I don't think I would have gathered enough courage to come back to Forks, even to visit Charlie. I would have invited Charlie to Seattle, but without this reunion, I would have never made it back home. I realized on that drive how much Forks was my home. Even though I had only spent four years of my life here, it was where my heart truly was. I had made terrific friends here: Angela, Alice, Edward, Jacob… They were all still here for me, even Jake still was there if I needed him. The Cullens still cared for me, which made my heart soar. They were the family that I thought would have easily forgotten me, and yet, they welcomed me back into their lives with smiles on their faces and arms wide open.

Then there was Edward. Edward was the one person that made my heart soar. Sure, Jacob had made me fall in love with him, but there was always a part of me missing once Edward had walked away from me all those years ago. Jake patched up the missing part of my heart the best he could, until he imprinted. When I had to leave, I realized that the hurt I felt wasn't nearly as bad as when Edward walked out of my life. Now Edward was back, and I would die before I let him get away again. I would make him see that he couldn't live without me either. The thought of spending the rest of my life, or better yet: eternity, with him made life seem that much easier. All the trials I've survived before were worth it if it meant I would always have Edward by my side.

I pulled into the parking lot of the high school to see the slightly cheesy decorations littered on a path towards the gymnasium. I walked up a lighted pathway and followed a rather large crowd towards a sign-in table. Each person was getting a nametag with their maiden and married names on it. I saw Mike Newton standing by the entrance holding a single long-stem red rose. When he saw me, his face lit up with that smile of his. He came over to me and presented me with the flower. I immediately felt bad for leading him on by going on that date with him yesterday, but I would have to figure out a way to fix it later. Tonight was about being with and catching up with old friends.

Mike waited with me while I got my nametag and then escorted me into the gym. He led me across the floor to where all the tables were set up. I noticed familiar faces looking in our direction, but shrugged off the attention as best as I could. I could see a couple guys standing near the table Mike was leading us towards. They turned to face us at about the same time and I realized it was Tyler and Eric, two of the guys that I became friends with that first day of school here many years ago. They each enthusiastically hugged me and told me how great I looked. I had to smile at the fact that no matter how many years had passed, these guys were still the same.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder and I turned around. I let out an "Alice-worthy" screech and quickly pulled a very beautiful Angela into a hug. "Oh my God, Angela. You are gorgeous. You look even more gorgeous than on your wedding day." I couldn't believe how much she seemed to be glowing. She looked positively fantastic.

"Oh my God, Bella. Talk about gorgeous, you are more beautiful than all the models in a fashion magazine. And that dress, wow… you have to let me borrow that sometime…" We were giggling before too long and sat down. Mike sat on my other side while Ben sat on the other side of Angela. "So Bella, I have a confession for you. I've been meaning to call you for the past two weeks, but wanted to tell you in person."

"What, Angela? Please tell me you're moving closer to Seattle so we can see each other more often." I pleaded with her.

"Actually, no. We're staying put in Forks, but we are moving into a larger house. I'm pregnant again Bells." I stared dumbfounded at her for a few seconds and burst out laughing. I was so excited for her. Angela was one of the most loving persons I knew and she was a terrific mother. Her having another baby was perfect for her, and I couldn't be more happy for her.

Mike stood next to me and asked me if I wanted to dance. I tried to smile as I tore my eyes away from Angela. She leaned in towards my ear and whispered, "I see some things will never change." She giggled as I reluctantly stood up and walked to the dance floor with Mike.

"Mike, remember, I warned you that I'm a terrible dancer. You are taking your own life into risk by having me dance with you." I hoped that the edge in my voice would scare him off a little, but he showed no signs of running back to the table. Instead, he slipped his arms around my waist and promised to hold me up if I slipped. Mike really was a sweet guy. He just wasn't the right guy for me.

We were swaying to the music and I was actually beginning to enjoy myself when I heard a high-pitched laugh over my should. When Mike groaned, I knew who the laugh belonged to. Sure enough, Jessica and Lauren came up to us within seconds. Lauren was the first to speak to me. "Bella Swan? Wow, don't you clean up nicely. How much plastic surgery have you had in the last few years?" I was obvious that she was drunk, but it didn't stop my jaw from practically falling on the floor.

"Well, actually Lauren, I haven't had any plastic surgery. I've just grown to be even more gorgeous than I was before," I said as sarcastically as possible. "You on the other hand look like you could use a little work, especially for some of those nasty wrinkles around the eyes. I could look up some good doctors in Seattle and get you their numbers if you want." As soon as the words left my mouth, I couldn't believe I had spoken them. I guess all those years of putting up with Lauren's crap had finally reached a breaking point.

Lauren gawked at me for a few moments before Jessica decided it was her turn to throw some venom in my face. "So Bella, where is your husband these days. Oh that's right, I'm being silly. I just saw him with his new wife who's a little bit younger than you at the store today. They had their cute little baby girl with them too. It must really suck to know that he left you for another woman. I guess you just aren't good enough for anyone…" she left her comment hanging in the air.

"Actually, I have met Michelle and Megan and they are the perfect family for Jake. As for you, I see you are settling for being a town gossip. Does that mean that you aren't married, because I don't see a ring on your hand, and I don't see you with a date. Sad, I would have thought there'd be at least one person dumb or desperate enough to bring you both here tonight. Oh well, you can't force someone to date you, unless they're hired escorts that is." I took a deep breath as I saw that both Lauren and Jessica were standing speechless in front of me. I turned to Mike to tell him I wanted to sit down and talk with Angela a little bit. He led me off the dance floor laughing the entire way back towards our table.

Angela, Mike, Ben, and I all talked for a couple hours as we ate and drank some of the delicious refreshments that had been provided. We talked about some of our favorite times in school, including classes we missed or couldn't stand. Mike excused himself for a few moments to go talk with a couple other people. Ben stood up and led Angela to the dance floor for a few moments alone with one another. I sat at the table looking around at the many people I used to see on a daily basis. Lauren and Jessica were still glaring at me, but I didn't care anymore. I had let them say what they wanted to say, and I didn't care about them anymore. They were not worth my energy anymore, and if they were really hung up on me, well then that was too bad. As I looked around the room, I saw Jessica's eyes grow very large as she looked in my direction. I scowled a little bit, but was startled by a cool hand that touched my shoulder.

"It should be a felony for you to be sitting by yourself when you look as exquisite as you do," a velvety smooth voice said in my ear. I gasped. I would recognize that voice anywhere. I turned my head to see Edward standing in a stunning black suit with a cobalt blue dress shirt. He was dazzling me just by standing next to me looking so perfect. I noticed that he had neglected to button the top two buttons on his shirt. Immediately my mind went back to last night. I sighed before I spoke.

"Actually, Mike just went to talk with some of his other friends. And Angela and Ben are dancing. So, it's not like everyone abandoned me." I told him.

"Well, then, if they left you alone, even for this brief period, you are free to dance with me. Would you honor me with a dance?" he asked me with his topaz eyes burning into mine.

"You do remember how pathetic of a dancer I am, right?" I asked him smiling. I was already starting to stand, so he knew I was teasing him, even if I was being partly truthful. He led me towards the dance floor where we stood facing each other beside where Angela and Ben were dancing. He pulled me close to him so I could breathe in his scent. He placed his nose in my hair and breathed deeply. I placed my nose on his neck and took in as much of his scent as possible. We started to sway with the music and it was like the rest of the world had melted away. I was with my soul mate, and no one could ruin this moment for me.

Edward began chuckling lightly. "What Edward? I haven't even stumbled yet and you're already laughing at me. What's so funny?" I asked him with a perplexed look on my face.

"I wasn't laughing at you, Bella. I was just listening to what Lauren and Jessica were thinking. Did you really say all those things to them earlier? Because, if so, I'm impressed." He said that last part just before he placed a quick kiss on my neck.

"Well, I was tired of listening to their crap. Besides, I know how good I look tonight, I don't need them trying to make me feel like crap just because they are the same pathetic losers as they were five years ago," I told him as the blood rushed towards my cheeks. I was getting angry just thinking about how dismal and immature they were.

"Bella, love, are you ready to leave? Or do you want to stay a while longer?" Edward asked me. I could see that his eyes had darkened slightly and I wondered if he was reacting like last night.

"Let me just say good bye to Angela, Ben, Mike, Tyler, and Eric. I won't see them for a while, I want to make sure I can contact them." I quickly kissed his cheek.

"I'll meet you by your car then. Love, I miss you already," he told me before walking towards the door.

I turned to see Angela and Ben looking at me with goofy expressions plastered on their faces. Angela and Ben hugged me good bye when I told them I was leaving. Angela told me to call her next week so we could plan on getting together more often. I then found Mike, Eric, and Tyler over by the refreshments table talking about sports. I told them all that I was leaving and that I would miss them. They made me promise to come back to Forks more often and make sure I stopped to see them when I made it back. I hugged them all and began walking towards the door.

I was stopped in my tracks by Jessica and Lauren once more. "So I see you managed to scare Edward Cullen away again. It figures that you are scary and dangerous to scare one of the most perfect creatures out of the gym. But then again, you know that you aren't good enough for him." Jessica spat the words. Six years ago, they were the words I kept telling myself in my head. Now, I realized they were coming from two very bitter, resentful, and rejected women. I didn't even waste my time on them with a comeback. I simple strolled out the door and headed towards my car where I knew Edward was waiting for me.

Sure enough, he was leaning against my driver side car door with my favorite smile on his face. He kissed my lips as soon as I got to him. He kissed me deeply and with as much passion allowed in the parking lot. I could feel my knees getting weaker as the kiss went on. He broke the kiss, sensing that I needed to breathe. He reached down toward my hands and held them briefly before stealing the keys from me. He chuckled at my surprised expression and then lifted me into the car, placing me in the passenger seat.

"Edward, what do you think you are doing?" I asked him, trying my best to sound annoyed. This was easier said than done, considering his smoldering eyes were staring straight at me.

"I'm kidnapping you for the remainder of the evening. I hope you don't mind. Alice already cleared it with Charlie to let him know you weren't coming back to his house tonight." He kissed my cheek and pull out of the parking lot. I continued to gape and stare at him, not even realizing where we were headed. At this point, I didn't even care where we were going, just as long as we went together.


	25. A Romantic Getaway

**A/N: ****Okay, okay, enough stalling. I get it. THERE IS A LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER… IN FACT, THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE. You'll just have to read and review and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**DISCLAIMER: still not Ms. Meyer. **

I was still staring at Edward has he continued to drive away from the high school. When I finally tore my eyes away from him to look out the windows I noticed we were no longer in Forks. I didn't care where we were heading though, so I didn't question him. He obviously had a plan for the night. I laid my head on the back of the seat and sighed in contentment. It was a perfect night. I had been with friends and now I had Edward. I don't think this night could get any better.

Soon we were pulling to a stop before a quaint inn out in the Washington countryside. I looked at Edward with questions in my eyes, but he just smiled as he grabbed my hand to kiss it. He got out of the car and came to my side to help me out. He led me to a little cottage off towards the side of a lake. He pulled out a key and led me into a cozy little room. There was a rustic feel to the entire inn, and this cabin was no exception. Edward went to the fireplace and soon a warm, crackling fire was blazing in the center of the cottage. I went towards the kitchen and looked around as Edward went back to the car. He had gone back to my house and grabbed some clothing for me after Alice and Rose had left.

I moved on from the kitchen towards the bedroom and adjoining bathroom. Everything looked luxurious even though we weren't staying at a five-star hotel. In the bedroom were unlit candles. I went over to a few of them, relishing in their exotic scents. I found a lighter and lit the wicks so they would create a beautiful glow around the room. Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I hope you don't mind me kidnapping you for a couple days. I wanted some time with you alone. I feel like we're always getting interrupted by someone or something. Just for the record, I've already turned of both of our cell phones so no one can reach us." he told me in a soothing voice.

I turned to face Edward and pulled his mouth towards mine. I sighed as he pulled away after a few short seconds. "It's perfect Edward. And I agree, we haven't had enough time together. I mean, with just the two of us together." I kissed his cheek and rested my head on his shoulder and he breathed in the scent of my hair. I took a step back and looked up into Edward's eyes for a moment. "I think I'm going to take a bath, Edward. Is that okay?"

"Of course, love. You can do whatever you want. I just want to be with you," he told me with those dazzling eyes of his peering into mine. I could feel my knees getting weaker with every second passing spent looking up at him, so I turned towards the bathroom. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into his embrace. He leaned down to kiss my. The kiss began to deepen after only a few seconds. I felt his hands rubbing my sides through my dress as my hands went up and knotted in his hair. He moved his lips to my neck so I could breathe. He pulled me closer toward him and I didn't mind. I wanted to continue kissing him for a while. My bath could wait.

I pulled his lips back toward mine and he smiled before indulging me with another passionate kiss. I felt him reach down and lift me up as he carried me across the room. He set me down beside the bed and I looked up to see his eyes darken and his breathing grow faster. I leaned into him again and felt his hands again start rubbing my sides. I pulled closer towards him and his arms wrapped around my waist again. They started moving up towards the exposed skin on my back and down again. He began kissing my neck again as I reached up to his cheeks so I could look into his eyes. I saw the desire and love in his eyes, and that was all the confirmation I needed. I moved my lips to his cheek and along his jaw towards his ears. I stopped just before I reached his ears so I could whisper to him, "Make love to me Edward."

He pulled away from me to look down at me. After a few seconds, he was behind me, kissing my neck and shoulders. I leaned my head back against his chest as I felt his hands move to the zipper concealed on the dress. He slowly moved the zipper down, revealing the back of the corset where the material separated. I made a mental note to thank Alice for taking me shopping yesterday.

He moved one strap off my shoulder and began lightly sucking on my skin where the strap had been. He moved back to my neck and placed light, chaste kisses all along the skin there. He moved towards the other shoulder as he slowly moved the strap off my shoulder. I could feel his lips sucking on my now-exposed shoulder as my dress slipped from my body and fell to the floor. I heard Edward gasp and I turned to see what had caused his reaction. The moment I turned to face him, his eyes got larger as they traveled lower over my body. I realized that I was standing there in heels and the lingerie Alice had picked out for me. I tried to cover the exposed skin on my body and felt Edward's hands reach out to grab mine. He lifted me onto the bed and hovered over my body for a few more seconds.

I reached up to his shirt and began unbuttoning them. He helped me get his shirt off as my fingertips ran over his exposed muscles for a few moments. I could feel his excitement through his pants again, and again, I felt embarrassed by my dreams and how I had misjudged his size. I moved my fingers to his waist and undid his pants easily. He let them fall to the floor as he stood over me once more. He trailed his fingers down my legs and unclasped the heels that were still attached to my feet. I felt a little satisfaction in knowing I had made it through the entire night without killing myself in those shoes. After releasing my feet from the shoes he reached up my legs at a painfully slow pace. He reached the edge of the panty hose and easily unattached them from the corset. I shivered as his fingers pulled each of the leggings off gingerly.

He returned his mouth to mine as his fingers nimbly started to unclasp the corset. He started at the bottom and moved his fingers upwards. As each clasp was released, I let out a little gasp. I could see he was growing more hesitant as he neared the top of the garment. I stopped his fingers as he reached the last three. I sat up and kissed each of his hands before placing them on my chest over the corset. He gasped as his fingers felt through the material. I helped him release the last three clasps and he pulled the corset off my body.

We both stared at each other for a few moments before continuing. I reached down and pulled his boxers off, releasing all of him for my viewing pleasure. He reached down and pulled my panties off and came crashing back towards my mouth. We laid naked on the bed for a few moments kissing until I turned us over and straddled him. He seemed surprised by my force, but I wanted him to feel some of the pleasure that was building inside me. I was already getting wet and could feel some moisture building on the insides of my thighs. I placed a trail of kisses starting on his lips and moving first to his jaw, then his neck and collarbone. I moved lower towards his chest and playfully sucked on each of his very erect nipples. I moved lower still and could hear his breathing becoming heavier as I placed a row of kisses leading between both of his hips.

I grabbed onto his erection and heard him moan as I moved my hand up and down his shaft at a slow and torturous pace. "Bella," he moaned. I took advantage of the position and placed a final kiss on his tip before sitting up slightly to look at his face. His eyes had rolled back slightly and his chest rose and fell quickly. I figured I had tortured him long enough and opened my mouth to take him into me. I moved up and down at a quick pace licking and sucking him. It pleased me and made me even more wet to hear the noises escaping his mouth as I moved up and down his long shaft. I felt him reach the back of my throat as I plunged him deeper into me. His hand reached into my hair and grasped roughly at the back of my head as I bounced in a steady rhythm. I could feel him start to contract just before he spilled his icy juices into my throat which I swallowed as fast as they burst into my mouth. He screamed out my name as his releases pulsed into me. I licked his length after he finished releasing into my mouth. I had barely finished licking up all the remaining juices when I felt Edward flip me over onto my bed.

He kissed my mouth and used his tongue to spread my lips. I moaned into his mouth as our tongues danced together. He pulled away to place kisses on my jaw line. His husky voice reached my ear as he placed kisses near my temples. "I love tasting myself in you. It's incredibly sexy. I wonder if your juices taste as mouthwatering as the smell." I couldn't believe how my "perfect gentleman" was talking, but it was just another side of Edward for me to fall in love with. He placed a trail of kisses along my neck and moved towards my erect peaks that were exposed in the candlelight. He massaged my left breast with his hand as he placed my right breast into his mouth. He licked and sucked gently causing me to quiver below his lips. He playfully nibbled my rock hard nipple causing me to moan out in ecstasy.

He switched positions so my right breast was being kneaded by his hand and his lips and mouth were on my left. I could feel my build up starting to come to the surface and when he nibbled my second nipple, I released and my body shuddered. "Edward, I want you so bad. Please take me." I said once the shudders had finished racing through my body. He chuckled as he continued to kiss my torso and stomach. He placed a copy of the line of kisses I had placed on his body on my own. He moved lower and spread my legs further apart. I felt his tongue on my left and right thigh as he licked up the juices that had overflowed down my legs earlier. He reached up to kiss me and whisper in my ear once again. "You taste better than you smell," he said huskily.

He returned towards my center and used his tongue to separate the moist folds. My eyes crossed at the pleasure his tongue was causing me. His tongue darted up and down my wet folds and back to my clit. He sucked on my clit causing me to moan and scream out his name. I gasped when I felt him reach an icy finger inside me. He immediately found my g-spot and massaged it as his mouth attacked my clit. I could feel myself getting more and more aroused as his finer and mouth worked together. Soon his single finger was joined by a second and third finger. His fingers moved in and out of my as I climaxed a second time that night. I could feel his tongue go to work as he licked up all my juices being released.

After his tongue had finished licking me senselessly, he came back to my mouth and hovered over my body. I could feel his shaft at my entrance. I whimpered and begged him to get inside me. He kissed me once more before continuing. "Bella, please let me know if at any moment I begin hurting you." He kissed my cheek as I nodded my response. A short second later, he was entering me. He started slowly and all I could feel was pleasure from his body finally being inside mine. He was mine and I was his. Our bodies moved together as he slowly thrust into me. I moaned out in pleasure as he rocked deeper into me. I wrapped my legs around his hips so he could get even deeper into me. The next thrust was so deep that I could no longer hold in a scream of pleasure.

He stopped abruptly and looked into my eyes. "Don't you even think of stopping Edward. You feel so damn good inside me." My eyes rolled back as he thrust with a little more force this time. I screamed again and again as he continued to thrust deeply into me. I could feel my breath getting more and more shallow. I needed him to move faster. "Edward. Stop torturing me. I need you to go faster. I promise, you feel so, oh my god, you feel so fucking good." I couldn't hold back the language in that moment as he began moving faster and faster. His moans started to match mine and it wasn't long before I came again. He continued to thrust as the shudders wracked my body. I had barely come down from that last orgasm when I could feel the pressure building again. This time, Edward and I came together. Our moans calling to each other in the height of passion. I felt him collapse in my arms, breathing heavily as he laid his head above my heart.

He rolled off of me a few moments later and cradled me in his arms. When his breathing had returned to almost normal, he captured my lips with his and pulled me close to him. "That was beyond words Bella. I cannot express to you what that felt like. You have made me the happiest man on the planet tonight." I smiled at him as he kissed me once again and pulled me towards him again. We laid together on the bed listening to the crickets outside and the other's breathing.

**EPOV**

I returned from the car with the bags to find Bella lighting candles in the bedroom. She looked so incredibly beautiful there wasn't a word to describe how she looked. I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around her waist. She would never know how hard it had been all these years to leave her alone and never taker her into my arms where she belonged. She fit inside my arms perfectly. I just hoped that for the rest of her life, no, for the rest of eternity she would allow me to hold her in my arms. I remember the first time she asked me to turn her, just after James had almost killed her and I refused. I didn't want to condemn her. Now I was positive it was the inevitable. I needed her, I wouldn't be able to continue living without her.

"I hope you don't mind me kidnapping you for a couple days. I wanted some time with you alone. I feel like we're always getting interrupted by someone or something. Just for the record, I've already turned of both of our cell phones so no one can reach us." I told her this in hopes that she wouldn't think it was creepy or impossible.

Instead, Bella turned towards me and kissed me deeply. I was ecstatic that this gorgeous creature would feel this way about me still after these long years. "It's perfect Edward. And I agree, we haven't had enough time together. I mean, with just the two of us together," she told me in a seductive voice. I don't know if that's the type of voice she was planning on using, but that's how my ears heard it. My body immediately started reacting to her voice. I tried to calm myself and remember that we had just started talking again a few days ago. As I battled my raging hormones Bella stepped away from me. "I think I'm going to take a bath, Edward. Is that okay?" she asked me shyly. I really didn't want to be away from her, even for a moment, but I knew that a bath would probably make her feel better.

"Of course, love. You can do whatever you want. I just want to be with you," I told her looking deeply into those beautiful chocolate brown eyes of hers. All too soon, she turned away from me and towards the bathroom. I wanted to leave her with a lasting part of me before her bath so I grabbed her wrist and brought her lips back to mine. Immediately, the kiss began to deepen and my body began reacting again. My hands acted before my brain could stop them and they began rubbing her sides. I knew she needed to breathe soon so I moved my mouth to her neck. I pulled her close to me in order to hug her so she could leave to take a bath. I really wished she would put her bath on hold for a few minutes and just stay locked in my embrace for a while.

I was about to release her when she pulled my mouth back toward hers. I smiled to myself and hoped she would indulge me a little while longer so I could kiss and hold her. I lifted her off her feet as I held her close to my body. I realized I was walking closer to the bed with her. I didn't want to take things too fast for her so I set her down beside the bed rather than on top of it. When Bella was ready for that step, I felt that I could actually control myself, but I wasn't going to pressure her into doing something with me before she was ready. I would wait for Bella to be ready. I kept saying it in my head over and over again urging myself not to take advantage of this wonderful woman in front of me. My hands slowed from moving up and down her sides and she pulled me closer into her body causing my hands that had been rubbing her side to begin rubbing her back. My breath caught the first time I felt the exposed skin above her dress on her back. I loved every inch of her body and wanted to touch it all. I kissed her neck again and felt her grab my face to look into my eyes. Her eyes held her love for me and something else I hadn't seen from her before. She began kissing my cheek and jaw moving closer towards my ear. Her steamy breath blew across my skin as she whispered into my ear, "Make love to me Edward."

My heart would have stopped right there if it was still beating. Instead I stepped back to look down at Bella. I couldn't believe she just said that. I had to make sure she was ready before I gave into those desires of mine. My hormones could have been playing games with my hearing and I wanted to be sure that this was right for her, for us. I looked down into those deep eyes of her and saw that my hormones were in check with hers. I could smell her arousal and she wasn't unsure of what she had said. That was all the encouragement I needed. I moved as fast as I could to get behind her. I'm sure she was shocked by my speed to move behind her, so I slowed down to lightly kiss her neck and shoulders from behind. My hands and fingers found her zipper and began easing it down her back. Underneath her dress was a beautiful piece of blue and black lacy material. I was awestruck.

I moved towards one shoulder and moved her strap off her shoulder and down her arm. I continued placing kisses along her neck and back and shoulders. I even began sucking lightly on her shoulders. I heard her breathing becoming more and more heavy and her heart began racing with each inch of skin being exposed to me. I moved towards the other shoulder and placed kisses there as my fingers moved her other strap off the shoulder. As soon as the strap was off her shoulder, her dress began falling towards the floor. I watched as the material slipped past her skin and showed me exactly what was lying below her dress. I gasped at the beautiful sight before me. Bella was standing before me in a corset and matching thong. She was facing away from me, giving me one of the most breathtaking views my eyes had ever seen. She turned slowly to face me and the view became even more beautiful as she faced me. I could tell she was becoming embarrassed by my gawking because her arms and hands started trying to cover herself. I reached out to grab her hands before she could cover herself. I wanted to see all of her, and her hands were making that difficult, so I picked her up in a swift movement and set her on top of the bed. I hovered over her slightly so I could take in her beauty a while longer. I wished she could see how beautiful she was and not be embarrassed by exposing her skin to me.

She brought me out of my trance when her hands began unbuttoning my shirt. I could tell she was still a little nervous because her hands were shaking enough to make this task a little difficult. I helped her fingers undo all the buttons and remove my shirt from my upper body. I watched her eyes as she took in the newly exposed skin on my torso. I wanted her to touch me, I ached for her to touch me. She seemed to sense this and her fingers began tracing the contours of my muscles on my chest and stomach. Everywhere she touched felt like a fire being lit on my skin. I have never felt this alive before. My body ached for her to touch more of me. I knew she could feel my cock against her, but hoped that I wasn't going to scare her off. I half expected her to jump up from the bed and run from me. Instead, her fingers moved their way down towards my waist and found the edge of my pants. She wasn't as nervous anymore, because she wasn't having difficulty undoing this garment of clothing. I stood so she could see me as the pants fell to the floor. I kicked out of them and stood beside her near the bed. I wanted to undress her now. She couldn't have all the fun now. That wouldn't be fair.

The first things that had to come off were the heels. I wouldn't have minded feeling them if Bella wrapped her legs around me, but they were helping to keep on her other pieces of clothing. I trailed my fingers down her legs and easily removed her shoes, each of them falling to the floor with a soft thud. I moved my fingertips up her legs lightly so I could release her legs from the panty hose being held in place on her upper thigh. She shivered as my icy fingers ran up her legs to unclasp the panty hose. I moved them down her legs slowly, still not wanting to seem too eager.

Now came the difficult part. I had always prided myself on being a gentleman, and the next garments to come off undermined that persona. I didn't know exactly how to proceed so I brought my mouth back to my love's and smothered it with kisses. I kissed her so I could gather my courage and forced my fingertips to undo the clasps on her corset. I decided to start at the bottom of the garment and work my way upwards. I easily release the clasps around her waist and was doing fine until there were only three left. I stopped, I didn't want Bella to think less of me for doing this to her. Her fingers stopped mine and I realized that this was as far as she was going to be able to go. She had come to her senses and wanted me to stop. She sat up abruptly and I realized sadly that she was about to run away from me.

Instead, she surprised me when she pulled each of my hands to her mouth. She kissed each of my hands lightly sending an electric current straight from her lips throughout my entire body. Then she looked up at me as she placed both of my hands on her breasts. I gasped in shock that Bella would be this forward with me. Then I realized what was underneath my hands, just below a piece of this material. All I had to do was finish with the clasps and then I would be free to touch her without the material in the way. Bella again came to my rescue by helping me release the remaining three clasps. I was left to pull the corset from her body and admire what she had underneath it. I gaped at her beauty as he skin was released from the small piece of clothing.

Bella took charge as I was admiring her perfect chest. She reached down and pulled off my boxers. I was easily standing at attention by now, and I noticed Bella's eyes and crooked grin as she took in all of my exposed flesh. I would have blushed if it would have been anyone else, but this just seemed natural and meant to be. I couldn't control myself any longer however, and reached over to grab her panties, ripping them from her body. I could feel her juices on the panties and she smelled absolutely intoxicating. Her arousal was becoming more and more pronounced as the seconds passed and we continued being in each other's naked presence.

I began kissing her furiously and moved so we both lying side by side, naked on the bed. Her skin felt soft and warm against my skin. I was immediately shocked when Bella rolled us over and straddled my hips. My shaft was pulsing in anticipation as it was beside her hot center. I gaped that Bella would be this forceful with me. Usually she let me take control in our relationship. She leaned down seductively and began kissing me. She moved her lips from mine to bring them towards my chin and jaw. Her lips began caressing my neck and collar before moving still lower over my body. When she got to my chest she made me gasp when she kissed and sucked each of my hardened nipples. I would have never expected Bella to do something like that, but then again, she never did what I expected it. She began kissing me lower and lower, eventually leaving a row of kisses leading between my hips.

Bella reached down and grabbed onto me making me moan out her name. She began stroking me. She placed a chaste kiss at the tip of my cock and the sat up. I was too shocked by how good her hands felt on me to pay too much attention to anything else. She was already making pant like a dog and then, she did what I had been hoping for. She slid her mouth around me and engulfed my shaft in her mouth. I couldn't control the moans, screams, and growls escaping my throat as she bobbed her head up and down me. I could feel the back of her throat on my tip as she plunged deeper around me. She seemed to know exactly how to please me and I could soon feel myself getting ready to release. I wanted to warn her, to have her move but she never released me and soon my fluids were spilling into her mouth. She swallowed them down as fast as I was releasing them. I couldn't believe that this goddess on the bed with me was mine. She would be mine until the end of time if I could help it. I could feel Bella's tongue licking the length of my dick and couldn't wait to taste her. I flipped her over on her back before she could torture me any further.

I slammed into her mouth placing a passionate kiss on her lips. I needed to feel inside her, so I ran my tongue along her bottom lip. When she gasped, I took the opportunity to rush inside. My tongue danced with hers and it felt electrifying. Almost as good as what I just felt. I could still taste some of my release in her mouth. It was amazing to know that she wanted me inside her. I moved to kiss her cheek and placed a line of kisses on her jaw line. I took a chance that she wouldn't mind me throwing the gentleman persona out the window and told her, "I love tasting myself in you. It's incredibly sexy. I wonder if your juices taste as mouthwatering as the smell."

I began moving down her body, just as she had before leaving kisses everywhere I moved. I reached her chest and could she them moving up and down in the candlelight. Her breasts seemed to be screaming to me to kiss them, to suck them, to touch them. I started by grabbing hold of the left breast and rubbing and massaging it with my hand. I could feel her harden as my hand kneaded her. My mouth took on the right breast. I moved my mouth all around her mound, saving her nipple for last. I wanted to shock her, as she had shocked me, so I nibbled on her nipple, careful not to break the skin with my dangerous teeth. My nibble caused her to moan out my name, only spurring me on further. I did the same with her left breast and made sure her right breast got a decent massage as well. After a few seconds of sucking on her left breast I could feel and smell her arousal heighten and he body began to shudder. I couldn't believe that she was so aroused that I had helped her climax just by paying attention to her breasts.

After the shudders stopped running up and down her body I heard her voice call to me. "Edward, I want you so bad. Please take me." It made me chuckle how she thought I was torturing her. I began moving still lower, placing kisses where I moved. I copied her once again by placing a line of kisses between her hips. I moved her legs apart and got my first real glimpse into her anatomy. She was beautiful everywhere, this shouldn't have surprised me. The instant I saw he wet, juicy folds I could feel myself harden. I bent down and quickly began licking up the juices that had escaped down her thighs. I reached back up to her face and kissed her. I spoke in a husky voice loud enough to reach her ears, "You taste better than you smell."

I returned to her opening and used my tongue again to lap up any leftover juices still lurking there. I could see the blood rushing toward her clit and immediately felt the urge to put it in my mouth. I began to suck on it gently. Once she started moaning and screaming my name, I began sucking more frantically. I could hear her heart beating loudly in my ears as I shoved one of my fingers into her. I quickly found her pleasure spot and worked to synchronize my mouth and finger. I quickly added a second and then a third finger into her folds. It didn't take me long to make her come again. I lapped up her tasty juices with my tongue realized I needed to put my dick inside her. I needed to feel her pussy surround me.

I positioned myself so my dick was at her entrance. It was just begging to be engorged inside her. I heard her whimper and beg me to get inside her. I kissed her and took a deep breath. I would have to keep my composure so I didn't hurt her. "Bella, please let me know if at any moment I begin hurting you." I kissed her cheek when she nodded to me. I took another deep breath and began pushing into her. I started pushing in as slowly as I could control myself to do. I couldn't believe the pleasure that was shooting through my body as our bodies were connected. Her hips started bucking with mine and her thrust began to meet mine. We were in sync and I realized in that instant that we belonged to one another.

I began thrusting, still slowly, deeper into her core. She moaned out in pleasure. When she wrapped her legs around my waist I could reach even further into her. I could feel her walls starting to vibrate around me. The vibrations caused me to lose control momentarily and I thrust deeper than I was intending to. She screamed out and I immediately froze. My first thought was that I had hurt her. I looked down at her and into her eyes searching for a response. She responded, but not how I expected. "Don't you even think of stopping," she told me. "Edward, you feel so damn good inside me."

Her eyes rolled back as I began thrusting into her again. I used a little more force that I had originally started with. Her breath was getting more and more shallow as it quickened. She shouted out to me. "Edward! Stop torturing me. I need you to go faster. I promise, you feel so, oh my god! You feel so fucking good." Hearing her talk that way send me over the edge. At that moment I let go and began moving faster and faster. Moans, growls, screams rang out from both our mouths as she came a third time. I didn't slow down. I wanted to keep her riding this wave of pleasure as long as I could. Her body had barely stopped shaking when I realized I was about to cum. It shocked me however that we were able to come together this time, both of us releasing our juices together. I called out to Bella as I released into her.

I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed onto her body the moment we stopped moving. Bella wrapped her arms around me and I listened to her breathe heavily. I placed my head on top of her chest and listened to her heart rate begin coming back down to normal. After a few minutes of listening to her heart, I pulled out of her and rolled over on the bed. I waited until I thought she had caught her breath before capturing her lips with mine. I pulled her as close to me as possible and spoke into her ear. "That was beyond words Bella. I cannot express to you what that felt like. You have made me the happiest man on the planet tonight." When she smiled at me I could do nothing more but kiss her deeply and continue pulling her close to me. I held her until I was sure she had fallen asleep. I smiled to myself at this goddess beside me and thanked the stars for bringing her into my life. I couldn't wait to have her wake up with me in the morning.

**Well folks, there's the lemon I've been promising you. Please read and send me a review. Let me know what you want to happen next. I have a few theories playing around in my brain, but would like to know what you want to read.**

**Much love!**


	26. The Morning After

**A/N: Thank you to all of you reviewers out there who have sent me wonderful notes. I appreciate it more than you could ever know. As this is my first story, I was a little unsure how to express Bella and Edward's first "night" together, but I thought it turned out well enough. Please know that each and every time will not be as detailed as last chapter, so don't hate me too much. I will be throwing in a twist soon. Also, I may be starting my second story soon, so I'll be spending my time between the two stories.**

**Anyway, back to the cottage and Bella and Edward.**

**DISCLAIMER: still not her… she still owns the TWILIGHT series and characters…**

**BPOV**

I awoke to the sun streaming in through the windows. I could feel Edwards muscular arms wrapped tightly around me as I woke. I smiled when I thought about what had happened last night. Edward was perfect, more than perfect. He was like my own personal God. He knew exactly how to make me feel loved and whole during the entire process last night. I never felt that satisfied or perfect before. I just hoped the Edward hadn't had a change of heart while I slept last night.

I opened my eyes to see his shining down at me. He smiled when he realized I was fully awake and leaned down to kiss me. He pressed his lips gently against mine while his hands reached down to mine and entwined our fingers together. "Good morning my love. I hope you slept well."

"I slept perfectly, Edward. How could I not with you in my arms all night," I told him as I reached up to kiss his neck. He emitted a low growl from deep in his throat while my lips caressed his tender yet firm skin. "Edward, I really do need a bath now. Mind if I actually get in there today?"

He left a trail of kisses on my collarbone up to my jaw line and finished with a chaste kiss on my lips. He sighed after releasing my lips and said, "I suppose I have to let you go sometime, even if I would rather hold you here in my arms forever."

"There's time for that later. First let me wash up and then you can hold me until you're satisfied," I told him as I sat up in the bed. I let the covers fall off my body and his eyes immediately went down to my now bare skin. His eyes darkened as I stood up revealing the rest of my naked body to him. I started to walk away from his on my way to the bathroom when I felt an icy breeze rush past me. Edward was standing between me and the bathroom when I looked up. He had his infamous crooked grin on his face as he blocked the only entrance into the bathroom.

"Edward… do you mind moving. I really do need a bath. I need to clean up myself before the day gets too far gone."

"Bella, I don't think I can just let you walk away from me looking like that. Just seeing you like that makes me almost lose control. I need to be with you…" he pleaded with me.

I almost gave in to him, but decided to make him suffer a little. I loved him and he could wait, it's not like the waiting would kill him. I sidestepped him and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I could hear him growling on the other side, but he didn't argue with me. I went over to the large bath tub and started filling it with soap and water. Soon a large mound of bubbles and warm water filled the tub. I climbed in and sank below the surface of bubbles. The bubbles had all but covered my body, leaving only my neck and face unhidden. I decided in that moment that I missed Edward's arms wrapped around me. Truth be told, I missed more than his arms. So I called out to him.

**EPOV**

"Edward," I heard Bella call to me from behind the bathroom door. I walked back across the bedroom and listened for a second. She repeated my name, this time a little louder. "Edward, are you out there still?"

"Yes love, I'm here. Do you need something?" I said through the closed door.

"Actually, I do need something. Do you think you can come in here and help me with it?" she spoke in a low voice. My mind immediately tried to figure out what was going through that gorgeous head of hers. I took a deep breath and cautiously opened the bathroom door.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw behind the bathroom door. There beneath a mountain of bubbles was my Bella. I stole glances into the tub and looked back up at her face. "What do you need help with?" I asked her.

"Actually, I need you to help me out in the tub. Do you think you can accommodate me?" she said with a sly grin on her face. My mind immediately clicked into place and I took the necessary steps over to the tub. I stepped into the warm water and sat down opposite her. She sat forward and crawled over to where I sat in the tub. Soon her legs were straddling my own. My desire for her was evident and I could tell she felt it. She bent to my lips and kissed me as I slid into her.

We made love there in the tub until the water became cold. When we were finished Bella and I rinsed each other off and helped each other out of the tub. I grabbed a towel and wrapped her up in its warmth. I wrapped a towel around my waist as Bella reached over to pull me in a tight embrace. I smiled into her hair at the love we were sharing one another. In the silence we were sharing, I could hear her heartbeat and could think of no other place I'd rather be. Bella sighed and smiled up at me.

"I love you, Edward. I always have. I always will. Promise me that you'll guard my heart. You have hold of it."

I stared stunned at her. I couldn't believe that she really and truly wanted me as I wanted her. I bent down and softly kissed her lips. "You have always had my heart. I have not been whole since we parted."


	27. Losing Control

**A/N: I know it's cliché, but I really appreciate your reviews. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story and send me a review. I'm hoping that I can go over a total or 100 reviews with this chapter. I'm officially on summer break now, so hopefully I get a lot more time to not only write this fan fiction, but read some of my favorite stories.**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I would love to own these characters, but I don't.**

**BPOV**

I woke up a little tired after a full day of making love with Edward. He was lustful at times, but sweet, sensitive, and caring at other times. We made love everywhere. It started with the bathtub and went back to the bedroom, living room, couch, coffee table, dining table, kitchen counter, the back porch, and finally back to the bedroom and massive bed. I went to bed fully satisfied and wrapped in Edward's arms. He held me securely all night, humming my old lullaby and a new composition of his.

I looked up at my angel and smiled as he looked down at me with love in his dark eyes. Dark eyes! "Edward? Are you thirsty?" I asked him hesitantly.

"A little, but I can survive. How about you. You didn't get much food yesterday, you have to be starving," he told me.

"Actually, food sounds like a good idea. I need to email my story to my editor as well. Unfortunately, that means I have to get back to Forks and my laptop so I can get my work done. I only have two more days until my vacation is over. I want to see Charlie for a little bit. Is that okay with you?" I wanted to spend every second with Edward, but I knew that Charlie wanted to see me, and I hadn't been home that much on this trip. I would have to come back to see him again.

"Yes, love. That sounds fine. I was thinking the same thing. Just promise me that when we go back to Seattle, you will spend some more quality time with me." He spoke with a glimmer in his eyes and a smile on his face. "I'll get you some food while you take a shower. I have a hunch you are wanting one of those this morning."

I reached up to his face and kissed both cheeks before placing a quick kiss on his luscious lips. I walked to the bathroom and closed the door quietly. I turned on the water and a steady stream of hot water was falling down around me. I stood under the waterfall allowing the water to unknot my muscles. I sighed thinking of how perfect Edward had been these past few days. I would do whatever it took to make sure that this feeling and relationship would stay in tact. I refused to let anything happen to change this. I washed myself and rinsed the remaining traces of soap from my body. I shut the water off and climbed out of the shower. I dried myself and wrapped my body with a soft white robe hanging on the door. I walked back to the bedroom to get dressed. Alice had packed a couple cute outfits for me. I picked a pretty blue top with a jean skirt.

I walked out into the kitchen and found Edward sitting at the table looking up at me with a wide variety of food sitting on plates in front of the other empty chair. He stood up and pulled out my chair so I could join him. The food was delicious and Edward talked about the things he had been doing to keep himself busy over the past few years. I stared at this perfect man before me as he told me how he had protected me without my knowledge since I moved to Seattle. Apparently, my string of bad luck had not stopped all those years ago because Edward had once stopped three thugs from jumping me one night after a long shift at work. I got the feeling that there was more to the story, but I didn't press him for details.

I finished eating and Edward used his speed to clean up after me. He raced back to me and wrapped his strong arms around my waist, pulling me towards him. He breathed in my scent from my hair as I buried my head in his chest. We stayed wrapped in each other's arms contentedly for a long time. There was no sound besides the beating of my heart and our breathing. All too soon, Edward released me and walked to the bedroom where he scooped up our things and carried them back out to where I was left standing. "Well, love… I suppose we should be heading back. Although I would love to spend another day here wrapped up in your embraces." He kissed the tip of my nose before leading me out to my car. I walked to the passenger side. I had no idea where we were, so Edward was going to have to drive us home. Edward got into the car and immediately reached for my hand, kissing the back side of it before starting the engine and backing out of the parking lot. We were driving home, continuing our conversation from breakfast the entire way back to Forks.

Soon we were pulling up in front of Charlie's house. I noticed the cruiser was missing from the driveway. "Bella, I'm going to go hunting while you work. I'll be back tonight. Call my cell if you need anything. I'll be here if you need me." He leaned in and caressed my cheek before placing a sweet kiss on my lips. I could do nothing but nod and sigh. Despite my legs feeling like jello, I got out of my car as Edward handed me my bag. I walked into the house throwing one glance over my shoulder at the amazing man standing beside my car. I saw a flash of white as I opened the front door, as Edward streaked towards the forest in search for his own breakfast.

I climbed the stairs to my room and turned on my computer. I started typing my article recalling the events from the reunion. I wrote about Edward, not mentioning his real name or the fact that his was a mythical creature. I wrote about the high school sweetheart that still could sweep me off my feet. I wrote about the possibility of a fairy-tale-like romance and ended the article with my thoughts on the entire trip thus far. I his the send button when I was finished and sighed when I looked over at the clock. It was barely 4 P.M. Edward would not be coming here for a few hours at least and Charlie would be at least another hour before coming home. I walked over to the bed and laid down. I closed my eyes for a moment and heard a rustling outside. My heart soared at the thought of Edward coming back so soon.

I practically ran to the window so I could open it for him when I gasped. Outside sitting in the same position as seven years ago was Jacob. "Bella let me in," he said gruffly. "I need to talk to you - NOW."

I opened the door and watched as he swung his way into the room. "You could have just rung the doorbell Jake. I would have let you in and it would have saved you the trouble of climbing."

"Yeah, well…" He was silent for a moment and then turned to face me. I looked up into his face and saw anger flash through his eyes before he spoke to me. "What are you doing hanging out with the Cullens? I can smell them all over you." He glared at me as he waited for my response.

"Jacob, who I hang out with is not your business anymore. And for the record, the Cullens are my friends. I went over there to see if they ever came back to Forks. I figured it could make a good part to the story…" I trailed off. I was getting upset that I had to explain myself to Jacob. I mean, I still cared about him, but I didn't think he had any right to question who I spent time with. We weren't married anymore.

"I don't like it. You know those leeches aren't safe for you and they hurt you the last time they were here. I refuse to let you get hurt like that again. You need to stay away from them Bells. They don't care about you the way you deserve to be cared for."

"Jake you don't have any right to pass judgment on the Cullens. You don't know what happened and truth be told, you're too biased to give an honest assessment of the situation. I care about them and I will be around them as long as I want." I was practically yelling at him by this point.

Jacob was shaking slightly as he tried to control his anger. I backed away from him. In our years of marriage, I had only seen him lose control once in front of me. It was a close call, and Emily and I would have had a lot more in common had I not fallen over as Jacob jumped over top me. I backed as far from his shaking form. To my right was an open window. To my left was the door with Jacob blocking my path. I had no safe option for escape. My heart started pounding in my chest until it was all I could hear. I was terrified as I watch Jake starting to lost his battle to gain control.

I was petrified as my heart pounded in my throat. I started to black out just as Jacob's clothing shredded, and familiar russet red fur erupted from his skin. His growl echoed in my ears as the shredded shirt flew past my left ear. Before my body his the floor I heard another growl.


	28. Hunting and Fighting

**Okay all, here is the second chapter that I promised all of you. Hope you enjoy it. Here's your goal folks. In order to get the next chapter I need to have 110 reviews. Get on it and let me know what you want to happen. By the way, Bella's outfit is on my profile.**

**DISCLAIMER: same as always, I'm not her, wish I were, I don't own the characters or TWILIGHT…**

**EPOV**

Bella and I drove up to her father's home. "Bella, I'm going to go hunting while you work. I'll be back tonight. Call my cell if you need anything. I'll be here if you need me." I leaned in and caressed my love's cheek before placing a sweet and sensual kiss on her lovely lips. She sighed from the touch of our lips connecting and I watched her attempt to gather her nerves so she could exit the car. I went to the trunk and gathered the bags. I met Bella by the passenger and handed her the bag with her things in it. She walked slowly towards the front door and all I could do was stare after her hypnotizing figure. Her sensual hips swayed back and forth as she walked. Her hair swung in the breeze. She reached the door and looked back at me over her shoulder. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the loveliest sight ever to grace my eyes.

Once I saw her smile back at me, I felt my body be able to move. I ran towards the forest so that I could catch some animal and get back to my Bella as soon as possible. I hated being away from her. At least the last three years had been spent watching her from afar. I had convinced myself that Bella had forgotten me and forced myself watch her as she lived her life. However, this morning's conversation had made me want to kick myself for wasting time. Bella had admitted that she had never forgotten me. She had always kept me in her heart. If I would have known that, I would have made my feelings known to her the moment she was divorced from that dog. That mutt had broken her heart, although I understand it wasn't entirely his fault, but Bella deserved nothing but the best. I doubt that I'm the best, but I'm willing to give Bella whatever she wanted, especially if it meant I get to spend my time with her.

I was deep in the forest searching for a quick fix to my problem. I walked silently around for an hour before finding a small family of deer grazing in a field. I was able to make short work of two of the deer and quickly drained their blood immediately alleviating my thirst. I was quenched and could now return to my love. I disposed of the bodies and began running back towards Forks. A feeling of dread washed over me. I suddenly felt a growing pit of despair in my gut and it urged me to run faster back to Bella.

I reached the city limits in half the time it took me to leave it earlier. I caught the faint smell of werewolf and stopped dead in my tracks. I called Alice on my cell phone immediately to ask about Bella's future. Alice was frightened and told me that about five minutes ago Bella's future disappeared. I was running before my phone was shut and had reached Charlie's street within a minute. I could hear Bella's voice and heart. Both seemed to be louder than normal. I quickened my pace to hear Bella telling someone, "Jacob, who I hang out with is not your business anymore. And for the record, the Cullens are my friends. I went over there to see if they ever came back to Forks. I figured it could make a good part to the story…"

Oh my God! Jacob was with Bella, and Bella sounded upset. I knew there was a treaty between my family and Jacob's tribe, but if he hurt so much as a hair on her head the treaty was off and Jacob was as good as dead. I heard Jacob's voice coming from Bella's bedroom, "I don't like it. You know those leeches aren't safe for you and they hurt you the last time they were here. I refuse to let you get hurt like that again. You need to stay away from them Bells. They don't care about you the way you deserve to be cared for."

I could feel a growl building in my chest at his accusation. I was ready to scale the building and face him.

"Jake you don't have any right to pass judgment on the Cullens. You don't know what happened and truth be told, you're too biased to give an honest assessment of the situation. I care about them and I will be around them as long as I want," Bella's voice was wavering. There was a hint of fear mixed with anger behind her speech. The next few seconds made my heart jump to my throat. First I heard silence from both Bella and Jacob. Then Bella's heart began to quicken to a dangerously rapid pace. She was frightened. I could hear her breath coming in short gasps, the same as they had during the ordeal with James many years before.

My mind was made up. I jumped to the bedroom window in time to see Jacob's shape shift into a wolf and Bella began to fall to the floor. Jacob was growling and quivering in rage. The growl that I had been suppressing escaped my throat as I saw Jacob moving closer to Bella. I jumped from the windowsill and collided with a deafening crash with the wolf.

"Jacob, calm down. Don't do anything you will regret. And if you hurt Bella, I will make you regret it."

His thoughts answered me, _"How do you plan on making me regret it, bloodsucker? You going to break the treaty?"_

"The minute you tried to hurt Bella, you gave me no choice but to defend her. I will not let your prejudice against me and my family put Bella at risk," I told him.

"_Listen Leech… Bella is not your concern. She obviously needs me to protect her from herself and your kind. Back off and go back to wherever you were. If it wasn't for you, Bella would be happy."_

"Jacob, leave here at once. This is your last warning. I will make you leave if you refuse to do it on your own."

The next thing I knew Jacob was crouching and ready to leap at me. I crouched and prepared to fight my adversary. We collided seconds later and began wrestling around, breaking furniture in Bella's bedroom. It took most of my strength to keep the fight away from where Bella was laying crumpled on her floor. I jumped at Jacob and pushed him through the wall and window. Both of us fell towards the ground.

We landed with a thud and continued to spar. We circled one another for a few minutes. I heard a sounds coming from Bella's room above my head. I strained to hear her heartbeat. She was whimpering and her breaths were coming quickly. I looked up to see her looking out of the massive hole now in her wall. "JACOB! EDWARD! STOP THIS!" she screamed.

Her revival had distracted me, and Jacob leaped on top of me, biting onto my left arm with his sharp teeth. "EDWARD! OH MY GOD! JACOB, STOP… YOU'RE HURTING HIM!!" I saw Bella run towards her bedroom door as I pushed Jacob off me. I swung my right arm across my body and connected with his face. I could hear him whimpering slightly from the hit. He jumped at me once more and I sidestepped his advance. Jacob missed me, but then I heard the single-most horrifying sound… Bella screamed once and then was silent.

**Read and review. Remember… I'm not posting the next chapter until there are at least 110 reviews. (that's 15 reviews folks.)**

**Have a good one. And thanks for reading.**


	29. Waking Up to a Nightmare

**A/N: Well everyone… you guys are amazing. I asked to get up to 110 reviews and you guys have gone above that. I love reading what you all have had to say. I hope I sent you all a reply to each of your reviews. I try to make sure I message everyone.**

**I am happy to say that today's chapter will feature another cliffhanger (I usually don't like writing chapters without resolutions, but this one has to be written as such. I am thankful to all of you who have shown an interest in this story. I want you all to know that I'll be wrapping it up in the next week or two. (That is, of course, if I have a lot of time to write this week.)**

**I'm gonna stay with the review quota thing again. I won't post the next chapter until I have 130 reviews.**

**DISCLAIMER: I am not Ms. Meyer. I own nothing.**

**BPOV**

I could see and feel the blackness lifting its cover on my eyes and body. I struggled to find the surface, the light, or whatever was beyond the blackness. I could hear enraged voices and a slightly loud crash. The voices got quieter and more distant after that. I still couldn't see faces or bodies to go with those voices. I felt like I could recognize the voices, but no faces came to my eyes. After a few more minutes of listening to the strained voices argue back and forth, I suddenly gasped and felt as if I were being shoved into an icy bath of light.

I gasped as I regained consciousness. It felt as if my lungs had been denied air for hours, days even. I panted like I had been exercising for an excruciating long time. My body and head felt sore. I felt hung over and the throbbing refused to stop as I breathed in deeply. I could hear the voices shouting now. I looked up at my bedroom wall. I gaped in horror at the place where my bedroom wall had once stood. There was a huge hole in the wall. There was a small amount of debris still lying on the floor. I stood up and made my way over to the remains of my bedroom wall. Whimpers escaped my lips as I took each painful step over to the wall. I looked out into Charlie's backyard and looked down to find Edward and Jacob circling each other. They were in the middle of a dangerous fight. I didn't need Alice there to tell that this would end with one or both of them dead.

JACOB! EDWARD! STOP THIS!" I screamed as loudly as I could manage. I saw both bodies tense slightly at the sound of my voice. Only Edward looked up at me to acknowledge that he heard. In that second Edward looked up at me, I saw Jacob make his move. He had used me and the distraction I created to lunge at Edward. I saw their shapes connect with Jacob obviously in control. "EDWARD! OH MY GOD! JACOB, STOP… YOU'RE HURTING HIM!!" I screamed down to Jacob. I couldn't let him hurt my Edward.

I turned as quickly as I could and ran to the door. I threw it open and headed down the stairs. Twice I had to grip the railing to stop my fall. The second time I almost toppled down on my face. I regained my speed and ran to throw open the back door. By the time I reached the backyard, I could see that Jacob was ready to jump at Edward again. I opened my mouth to stop him just as Jacob jumped. I saw Edward step sideways with his vampire speed and Jacob missed. My heart soared for a nanosecond when it realized that Edward was okay. In that next split second I realized that Jacob's form was still airborne and about to collide with me. I screamed, but that sound was cut short by the collision of our bodies.

Immediate pain erupted down my front. I fell to the ground screaming out in pain. I looked down at my body to see my flesh ripped open, no doubt by Jacob's sharp claws. I could smell the rust smell that I had tried desperately to avoid over the course of my life. I could hear a multitude of screams come from all sides of me as I struggled to stay awake. The pain was great and I knew that my injury was serious. Edward had rushed to my side wearing a pained expression on his face. "Edward, I love you. Don't forget me…"


	30. What Do We Do Now?

**A/N: Well folks, I know that last chapter was a very VERY short chapter, so I promise that I will post two chapters tonight because of your reviews. Thanks for all the wonderful thoughts and praise. Going for 150 reviews between this and chapter 31.**

**DISCLAIMER: Still not Stephenie Meyer… August 2... Just over 50 days left until we know for sure.**

**JACOB**

I circled the bloodsucker. How dare he? Who did he think he was? Bella was my wife, well, she used to be. She deserved someone better than him. He didn't even had a heartbeat. Why would he think he even deserved he? I heard Bella shout out to us to stop fighting. Didn't she realize I was trying to protect her. Sure, I had scared her once before when I lost my temper with her, but I would not have hurt her upstairs. Would I? Then HE showed up. The thought of him just showing up at Bella's made me so mad that I had to attack. He once told her he didn't feel that way for her. Therefore, he must have come back to gain her trust and then hurt or kill her.

When Bella called to us, I didn't let my eyes leave my enemy. He would be punished. I saw him glance up at Bella. I leapt from the ground and crashed into his rock hard body. I crazily started to use my claws to start shredding him. He was quick and was able to get out of the way of my deadly claws as they swiped where his skin had been milliseconds before. Within seconds he had escaped from my clutches entirely and we began circling once more. Bella could be heard running down the stairs and towards where we were. I had to end his life, or better yet, existence now. Now and not after he had hurt my Bella.

I sprang from my crouch and expected to crash into his body but he stepped quickly from my outstretched claws and I passed directly through where he had been standing. I realized too late that I was about to collide with Bella. I had put so much effort into the jump that I was flying directly for her and there was nothing I could do to stop my momentum. With a loud crunch I felt her body give underneath my own. Then I smelled the blood. I looked down and saw her flesh broken and hanging. Blood was spurting out of her wound and she looked weak already. When she collapsed I did too. I had hurt her, hurt her seriously. I now knew exactly how Sam had felt with Emily.

I ran into the forest to change back and find clothing. As I took three bounds to the forest I saw a multitude of people come running into the backyard.

**EPOV**

Her scream. I had only heard it when James was hurting and trying to kill her. I never wanted to hear it then, and I sure as hell didn't want to hear it now. I turned to see Jacob land passed Bella. As I turned, her scent hit my nose hard. I could feel my eyes turn onyx as I forced my eyes to look at Bella. Jacob's attack had missed me, but hit her directly in the stomach. Her skin was slightly shredded and the flesh below was spurting blood onto the ground by her feet. Bella screamed out in pain as her body gave out and fell to the ground. I saw Jacob look back at Bella and his thoughts showed only true remorse. He bounded towards the forest.

I heard what sounded like hundreds of people coming at me from all sides. I could hear my family and the wolves converging on Bella's backyard. I didn't care about their voices or their thoughts. My thoughts were only on Bella. I was amazed at how I was able to control my bloodlust for Bella's blood. She smelled even more exquisite but here I was only thinking about how to safe her from pain, hurt, and now, death. It didn't take a medical degree to see that her injuries were serious and life-threatening. "Edward, I love you. Don't forget me…" she said as she lost consciousness. I called out to Carlisle to come help her. I shouted to my family to keep their distance. I would hurt any of them if they even thought of hurting my Bella.

I watched Carlisle look over her body and his thoughts we not good. _Edward, we have three options. One, we change her and save her. She's injured pretty badly. She's lost a lot of blood and I don't have my supplies with me. I can't do anything here. Option two is we pick her up and try to get her to the hospital. I say try because it's likely she won't make it if we move her. Option three, we watch her die. She isn't far from that now…_

I looked up at Carlisle in horror. I had thought of changing Bella over the last few days, but I figured I had plenty of time to work up the nerve to do it. I looked back at Carlisle and heard his thoughts once more, _Edward, if you don't bite her, I will. I refuse to let you be without her. She's what you want, Bella wanted this…_

Sam drew my attention away from Bella and Carlisle. "Edward. I'm sorry. As soon as I saw Jacob change I tried to get here before something like this happened. How is she?" His voice was almost pleaded me to give him good news.

"She's going to die. We have a choice of letting her die like this or…" I lowered my eyes to her quivering body and took a deep breath, "or we bite her and change her. She asked us to do that to her once before…"

Sam spoke with a cold voice. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I don't want Bella condemned to this life, but I don't want to live without her. She doesn't deserve this," I told him honestly.

It was silent for all of ten seconds before Carlisle finally spoke. "I know there is a treaty and I understand we said we would never bite another human, but Bella wanted this. Not this situation exactly, but she wanted to become part of our family. I will bite her if Edward feels he can't do it, and I will have to do it within two minutes, or she will die no matter what we do." All eyes looked incredulously at Carlisle as he admitted that he would be breaking the treaty in less than two minutes. Seconds passed by and no one spoke. All of us seemed frozen.

The voice that spoke up was the last one I expected to hear.

"Bite her, Edward."


	31. Jacob's Choice

**A/N: okay guys. Here is the second chapter I promised you. I hope you all guessed who said the last line of chapter 30. I'm glad to say that most of you wanted Edward to bite Bella and make her a vampire. I would like to thank all of you who took the time to read and review this story. I'm thinking about possibly creating a sequel to it in the future so let me know what you think.**

**Still looking for 150 reviews. Let's see what you guys think…**

**DISCLAIMER: not her, sorry. Still don't own anything unfortunately.**

**EPOV**

I stared at Jacob as he emerged from the forest clad in only a pair of cut off jeans. If I hadn't been so stunned I would have jumped from my position to attack him. I began sifting through the many thoughts that were racing through his head. None of them really surprised me, but he seemed to realize I was listening to him because he began speaking to me in his head. "_Edward, I screwed up. I never wanted this to happen, and I can see that you aren't convinced this is what Bella would want but please, listen to me. She wants this. I could see it in her eyes. She told me once… _

**JPOV**

Two years and three months prior (about two months before Jacob imprints):

_Bella and I were walking hand-in-hand on our beach. We had just gone for a morning walk. We were playing 20 questions with each other. Although we had been married for about three years, there were still many things we loved learning about one another. _

_Bella's turn to ask a question was up. "Why do you still dislike being a werewolf?"_

_I sighed. "It's not that I dislike it, I just wish that we could be a normal couple. I mean, this right here… this walk, this time together… this is what I truly crave, and being on patrol or always wondering if I'm ever going to start to age again is just stressing me out. I wish it could be just us. Just Jake and Bella. Without the drama that comes with a pack of bored werewolves._

_Bella laughed and leaned over to kiss me. I pulled her into a tight hug as she set he head on my shoulder. We reached our tree and sat quietly together watching the waves. It was my turn and there was a question I had always wanted to ask Bella, but never had the guts. "Bella, when you dated… Edward… Cullen…" she still tensed when she heard mention of any of the Cullens, let alone the one she had fallen for. "Did you and him ever talk about being together, I mean, for more than a lifetime?"_

"_Are you asking if Edward and I ever discussed my becoming a vampire? Or do you mean something different?" she asked me._

"_The first one. You becoming a vampire…" I hated the idea that he would want to kill her just to be selfish and keep her. Although, I would have to think he was crazy if he didn't want her that badly. I already knew he was an idiot for letting her go, but who was I to criticize._

"_Well, we were at an impasse when it came to that discussion," she said cautiously._

"_I knew it. I knew he would be selfish and consider killing you, just for the sake of having a companion." I was livid. Bella was too good for that monster. He didn't deserve her for eternity. I calmed when I thought of how he had screwed up and left Bella all those years ago. That time when I was able to make Bella see that she loved me and we finally got together._

"_Actually Jake, you have it backwards. You see, and stay calm when you listen to this story. Edward was very adamant about me living a "normal human life". He wanted me to have human experiences as a human. He refused to end my life just so he would have his soul mate." She sighed before continuing. "I remember waking up in the hospital in Phoenix. I remember telling him to bite me and change me. At that time, I wanted nothing more than to be with him forever. I wanted him to make me beautiful like him so that I deserved to be with him. He told me no. At prom a few months later, he took me outside and almost teased me when that subject was brought up. I really wanted it though. I didn't just love Edward, I loved his family, and I respected them for choosing to hunt animals, rather than people. They made a choice, and I had made mine. If Edward hadn't have left me, I would have found a way to convince his family to convert me. I would have done anything to be with Edward and the Cullens for eternity._

_I stared in disbelief at Bella. I couldn't believe that the woman before me had actually seriously considered becoming my enemy. I mean, we were perfect together. For her to be against me would have been more heartache than if she would have chosen Edward over me in the end. _

"_Jake… that was before he left. I've given up those thoughts. You're my future now."_

**EPOV**

Jacob stared at me hoping that I would see Bella's words from that day years ago. He wanted me to see that this was what she wanted, even if he wasn't happy about it.

"Edward, bite her now or have Carlisle do it. I screwed up and I will have to live with that until I die. Don't worry about the treaty. I'm asking you to do this."

He turned towards the rest of the pack and spoke to them. "None of you will harm the Cullens, or Bella as she is about to become one of them. This is what she wanted and if it is the only gift I can truly give her I will do it. The treaty will still stand, even after she is bitten. If you have a problem with this, you run the risk of dealing with me. I'm stepping up as leader and you all have my order."

I looked back up at Jacob as he sat next to me. "I don't want to be the reason she dies. If she were to stop existing I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Edward… She wanted this. Please take care of her for me."

I sighed and nodded my head. Carlisle spoke to me in his head. _Edward? Can you do this? If you feel like you'll lose control let me know now and I'll do it for you._

I shook my head and took a deep breath. Carlisle gave me his instructions through his thoughts. _Bite her first on both wrists and ankles. Then you will need to bite her just above the heart. This will ensure that the venom gets to the heart in time._

I looked back at the many people staring intently at me and told them to go into the house while I did this. Jacob refused to leave as did Carlisle. I bent down to Bella's ear and whispered, "Love, I'm sorry for this. Don't forget how much I love you, please."

I bit first her ankles. With each bite, her body flinched at the pain. I was surprised that I was able to control my bloodlust through both bites. I kissed her hands before biting each of her wrists. Again her body began to flinch and quiver in this new pain. Finally I moved her shirt down to expose her chest. I place a chaste kiss on the skin above the heart and quickly bit the skin. With that last bite, Bella let out a loud scream. I reached out and grabbed one hand as Jacob reached out and grabbed her other. We sat at her sides each holding on to a woman we loved.

In the distance I heard Charlie's cruiser approaching. Carlisle called for an ambulance, knowing that by the time it arrived, it would be too late. At least this way Charlie would get the chance to say goodbye to his daughter. I prayed to God that Bella would forgive me for taking this moment away from her.

Charlie came running around the house with the rest of the audience in tow. He let out a strangled yelp when he saw Bella lying on the ground, her blood pooling out around her broken body. Jacob and I stood, releasing Bella's hands so that Charlie could see his daughter one final time. Carlisle spoke softly to him. "Bella was attacked by a wild animal Charlie. As you can see, Bella's lost too much blood. There's nothing I can do for her, and the damn ambulance is stuck somewhere. I'm sorry, I truly am.

Charlie began sobbing uncontrollably. There was nothing any of us could do to comfort him. Most of the people now standing in the backyard were sobbing. Some had tears running down their cheek. My family was also sobbing, but no tears glistened on their cheeks. A few minutes later we could hear the siren of an ambulance heading towards the house. Just before the paramedics came into the backyard Carlisle looked up and spoke sadly. "Her heart has stopped beating. He began the charade of CPR for Charlie's and the paramedics' sake but I knew it wouldn't do anything to stop the transformation.

Charlie released Bella's hand as she was placed on a gurney and moved to the ambulance. Carlisle conveyed his thoughts to me, _She will be taken to the morgue immediately upon arrival. You and Emmett will need to be ready to take her body back to the house. She will start her transformation within the hour. She will wake tomorrow or the next day Edward. You'll have to ask Alice for an accurate timeframe. I'm sorry son._

I gulped as I watched the devastation on Charlie and Jacob's face. There was a long line of cars that headed to the hospital. I rode in Emmett's jeep and we parked around the side of the hospital after arrival. I watched as all of us walked somberly into the waiting room. We knew there was no hope, but Charlie's shoulders fell even farther down when Carlisle came in with her official death certificate. He also explained the they found traces of rabies in her system, obviously from the wild animal that attacked him. This meant the remains would have to be cremated to ensure that nothing was spread to others. Charlie signed the approval and Carlisle told him that he would get her remains to him as soon as they were ready. Carlisle nodded to the rest of us and let his eyes linger with mine sending me a silent message to get to the morgue.

All of us left the hospital then. Sam, Emily, and Alice offered to go back to the house with Charlie. Alice had Rose and Jasper had a tree "collapse through" Bella's wall to explain the hole. Hopefully Charlie would believe the story of how the animal got into the house. Emmett, Jacob and I went to the morgue to get Bella's body. She would be unconscious for the transformation, so the chance of pain would be minimal. Jacob was able to distract the young lady at the desk while Emmett and I snuck Bella's body out a window and into Emmett's jeep. All three of us were able to leave minutes later.

Jacob insisted on coming over to make sure Bella was okay. I understood his torment and reluctantly agreed. When we arrived home all of us were there except Carlisle who was at the hospital finishing paperwork and getting "Bella's remains" for Charlie. We laid Bella's body on our rarely used dining room table and wiped her skin with a wet towel. Alice assured us that Bella would awaken in about 30 hours. Until that time, the others walked around the house, never leaving. Jacob and I never left her side. We resumed our positions on either side of her, holding both her hands in our own.

There was nothing to do now besides wait for Bella_._


	32. Waiting

**A/N: I just wanted to thank all of you who have been faithfully reading and reviewing this story. It's starting to come to a close and I am so happy that you all have enjoyed my first fan fiction. To answer all of you who have asked if there will be a sequel: well, I don't really know yet. I hadn't thought about it until you all suggested it. So we will just have to see where the story takes me/us. I am interested to hear your thoughts on whether or not to write a chapter about Bella's funeral. Let me know.**

**New chapter after 165 - 170 reviews. I hope you enjoy it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm still not Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing.**

**EPOV**

Jacob and I sat in silence for almost 24 hours. Jacob was getting tired, but refused to sleep. I could hear his thoughts still but I knew he didn't want to talk just yet. Carlisle came in every hour to check on Bella's progress. He gave us updates on Charlie and others in Forks who seemed to be mourning Bella's death. He would leave and send me a silent message of encouragement before going to find Esme or one of my siblings. Alice came in every few hours to let us know that her vision hadn't changed.

After a full day had passed and Alice had reminded us that there was only six hours left until Bella would wake, Jacob finally broke our silence. "Edward, I never wanted to hurt Bella. I was only trying to protect her. I… well… you… you see, when you left her all those years ago, Bella thought that part of her had died. She was practically comatose for months." In his thoughts he showed me what Bella looked like the day she came to his garage. It made me flinch in pain when visions of Bella in the forest came to his mind from Sam's memory. "She was broken and barely holding on. She had to hold herself together whenever someone would mention you or your family. The day she kissed me, well, it was one of the happiest days of my life. Bella finally took a step to move on. Then you come back into her life after all those years and she just forgives you. She may have been too hasty in her decision. I didn't want her to be broken if you left her again…" I was about to object to his statement but he cut me off. "I know now that you wouldn't do that to her again. I see the love you have for her in your eyes. As much as I hate to admit it, you care about her as much as I care for Michelle. It's like the two of you imprinted on each other all those years ago…"

I stared at him for a few seconds and finally spoke, "Thank you Jacob. There will not be a day that goes by where I don't regret walking away from Bella. She is my life. I will spend the rest of eternity making up for hurting her. I never wanted to hurt her. I thought she would be safe and happier if I left and she forgot me. I see now that all I did was cause her more pain. I am thankful that you were here to help mend her broken heart. I know that you would still be with her had you not imprinted. But I promise you that I will not hurt her again. I will work each day to make sure she is happy."

"I know. But I promise you this… If I ever hear of you hurting her, well, let's just say that my "brothers" and I will hunt you down and make you regret it." He smiled a little at his comment. I did too.

"I would expect nothing less. And I would deserve it if I was stupid enough to hurt her or let her go." We continued to sit beside Bella until I noticed Jacob was barely awake. "Jake, why don't you sleep for a few hours. I'll wake you before Bella wakes up," I promised him.

"No. I caused this, I will see it through. Besides, she probably won't want to see me after this, I want to have as much time with her as possible. You understand that, right?"

"Of course. I'm going to get Alice. You can have a few minutes alone if you'd like." I stood, placed a chaste kiss on Bella's cheek before leaving the dining room in search of Alice. I knew Jacob was needing time to be with Bella without my interference. I wanted him to have that, especially if Bella refused to talk or see him again. My family members were in various rooms upstairs, but most were in Carlisle's office. I walked into the office and sat with my family.

"Edward, you are going to be so happy. I can see it. In all the visions I've had over the past day, you are always smiling like a fool. Bella will make you and our whole family whole. I'm sooo excited. You have no idea how much fun this is going to be." Alice was practically bouncing out of her skin and Jasper had to come over to calm her slightly. She blocked her thoughts from me so I could not see any of her visions.

"Edward, I just wanted you to know that if Bella makes you happy, then I'm glad she will be part of our family. I don't understand why she wanted to become one of us fully, but I am delighted that you have someone that makes you happy." Rose's comment shocked me. She never let her distain for Bella stay hidden. She had, on many occasions, shown Bella how unhappy she was with her presence in our lives.

"Thank you Rose. I'm sure Bella will be relieved to know that as well." I leaned over and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

Emmett came over and made an inappropriate comment which made Rose smack the back of his head. I had to laugh at how my family was accepting this whole situation. We talked as a family for a few hours and Carlisle talked to us about relocating. Obviously we wouldn't be able to stay here with Bella in case someone, namely Charlie, came by. We would have to move and Carlisle was giving us a few options to think about and discuss. In the end we decided to wait until Bella woke to make the final decision.

I sighed and stood, preparing to go back down to the dining room. I listened quickly to see if Jacob was ready for me to return. I made sure I made more noise than necessary on the stairs to announce my return. I had been upstairs for almost five hours. Bella would wake in less than an hour. I had less than 60 minutes until the love of my life would wake and be with me for all of eternity. This woman would have my heart, soul, and body. There was just one more thing I wanted to give to her.


	33. Aftermath

**A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a busy week so far so I haven't had a lot of time to write. I am going to finish this chapter by about chapter 40 or sooner. I am going to answer all your questions. I hope that you all have enjoyed this story. I'll be posting my next story in the next couple of days as well, so check it out and let me know what you think.**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm not Stephenie Meyer which means I, unfortunately, do not own and of the TWILIGHT characters. But, I hope you enjoy this story nonetheless.**

**BPOV**

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you are trapped in a dark room or small space and you feel like your using all your strength to get out? I've been having this dream for the longest time, and I'm tired. I feel like all my energy is spent and I don't know if I'll ever escape this darkness. I can hear Edward, Jacob and the other Cullens just outside the dark. I can't hear exactly what they are talking about but I could hear the different voices.

Right now I could hear Jacob talking to me. Jacob. I remember Jacob jumping at Edward. Somehow Edward had managed to step sideways and Jacob had missed me. Jacob had no one to jump in besides me. I remember his wolf form colliding with my body and feeling an eruption of pain starting in my abdomen and exploding outward. Soon my wrists and ankles felt the pain and fire. There was no more pain now. Just darkness and voices.

After listening to Jacob for what seemed like hours, I could start to see some lighter shadows and voices became clearer. I could actually hear some of the things he was saying to me. His voice was sincere and loving, despite that he was the one who had hurt me in the first place. "Bella, I'm sorry for this. You deserve to have a normal human life. You should have been allowed to have children and grow old and be happy. I'm so afraid that I ruined your life and existence. If you don't believe anything else, I hope Edward makes you happy, because there is nothing you deserve more than happiness."

I heard Edward come into the room and talk to Jacob. "Jacob, I promise to take care of Bella. I will show her and give her everything her heart desires. She will never want for anything. You can sleep easy knowing that I will take care of her."

I smiled at that thought. My Edward wanted to take care of me forever. He wanted to be with me. I smiled and imagined all the things I wanted to do with Edward for the rest of eternity when Alice came running into the room shrieking. I stopped smiling as I heard her murmur to Edward. "She's almost awake. I can't wait for her to see herself. She's going to be so excited. And I saw her power, it's amazing. Edward are you happy?"

Edward didn't answer Alice but I soon felt a warm hand grab my left hand. His touch was so soft and familiar, but I was confused by the temperature. He felt warm when he should have felt cold. Soon a second hand grabbed my free hand and his touch was like a sauna. I figured this must be Jacob, but he was never this warm before. I smiled at the thought of Edward and Jacob in the same room without trying to kill each other. It was something I had wanted for so long, even before the situation had presented itself. Soft lips reached down and kissed my left cheek, and that touch sent shivers or pleasure down my spine.

"Edward…" I whispered.

I opened my eyes and looked up at my Edward. There was something different about him. He looked even better than I remembered. I could see every detail on his skin and could almost see the veins below his skin. His face was bright with my favorite smile reaching up towards his eyes. He reached out and touched my cheek again and again I was amazed at how warm his skin was. "Bella…"

"I love you, Edward. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," I told him before he leaned down to kiss me.

I turned my head to the right side and looked up at Jacob who was staring at me with a confused expression on his face. "Jake, what's wrong?"

I was then I caught the scent that can only be described as "wet dog." I scrunched my nose slightly and Jacob started laughing. "What's so funny Jake?"

"Your face was priceless when you finally caught my scent. You look even more beautiful though." Jake started laughing more to himself but never reached out to me. This upset me, because as mad as I should have been with him, I felt no animosity towards him.

Then, it clicked. I realized why Jake now smelled like a dog to me, why Edward's hand felt warm to me, why Jake's touch was so sweltering. I had been turned. I sat up abruptly and sped faster than any human to a nearby mirror. I wanted to see how much I had changed and if my suspicions were correct. I averted my eyes and forced myself to look first at my body. There wasn't much of a change, but my muscles were much more defined through my shirt. My skin, which was always on the pale side had only gotten a shade or two lighter. My figure in general looked amazing. I had a perfect hourglass shape and there wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere. I moved my eyes up to my face. My hair was hanging loosely to the point where it just covered my shoulders in loose waves. It looked a shade lighter, almost like I had natural highlights put into it. My nose looked softer and there were no harsh lines anywhere on my face. I looked lastly at my eyes and was shocked to see that they were not bright scarlet, but a deep onyx. Seeing my eyes so dark made me notice the scratchy feeling in my throat. I began to worry about what would happen when they took me hunting. I didn't want to be a danger to anyone.

Edward came up behind me and whispered into my ear, "You look beautiful, much more beautiful than I could have imagined."

I turned to look at him and placed a kiss on his lips. I was about to deepen the kiss when I heard someone clear their throat loudly in an attempt to distract us. I looked up at Jake who was just staring at me. I crossed the room and grabbed him into a hug, despite the smell. I knew he had to be as uncomfortable as I was. "Jake? What happened? I remember you and Edward fighting, but I don't remember much after that."

Jake sighed sadly. He looked down at his feet and then back up to my face. "Bella, I hurt you. I broke that promise I made you long ago. I was trying to tackle Edward and he moved. Instead of hitting him, I hit you. There was nothing else to do, Bella. I told Edward to bite you, to change you. I couldn't live with myself if I had ended your life because I was stupid and jealous."

I leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Jake's cheek. "Thank you, Jake. I remember telling you that I had wanted this when I first fell for Edward. I didn't think you would remember that. I will always be grateful to you for making that choice for me. If there is any way I can repay you for this please let me know."

"I almost kill you, well I would have killed you if the Cullens hadn't been there to change you, and you are wanted to repay me? How does that work? Just promise me to always be as happy as you can. And if you have a moment or two in the next millennia to watch out for my descendants, I wouldn't complain." He started to laugh to himself, but I knew that would be a promise I would try to keep. I would do anything necessary to keep Jake's family safe from any future dangers.

"I promise Jake. Oh my God! What about Charlie? What did you all tell him?" I exclaimed to the room that was now full of people.

"We told Charlie you were attacked by a wild animal. Carlisle was there and he told Charlie that you were minutes from death when the ambulance arrived. We took you to the hospital where you were pronounced dead. Charlie was given "your ashes" while we took you body here. Jake and I have been sitting with you for the duration of your change," Edward told me.

"I see. So what do we do now?" I looked around at the vampires and werewolf that just seemed to be staring at me.

"Well, I think we'll have to take you hunting soon. I'm surprised Bella. Usually newborns have bright red eyes, and as you may have noticed, you aren't like newborns in that respect. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of different things about you." Carlisle spoke softly as he crossed the room. He stopped in front of me to give me a loving hug. He whispered into my ear before pulling away, "Welcome to our family Bella."

Soon, Alice had slammed into me and pulled me into a tight hug. She only released me so Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie could give me an embrace each. Finally Jasper walked slowly towards me. He lovingly pulled me into a hug and started laughing. When I asked him why he was laughing he explained to me, "This is the first time I've ever been able to touch you. I'm slightly disappointed that I never trusted myself around you when you were human, but I hope you will forgive me over the next decade or so."

I had to laugh at that. I was feeling comfortable when Jacob stood up and crossed towards me once more. "Bella, I'm leaving you now. I know you have "things" to take care of and I should get back to La Push. Someday, I expect you to hate me, but know this, I will always love you no matter what you are in this world. You will always be my Bella in so many ways, and I hope that you will always be happy." He didn't give me any time to respond before he rushed to the door and began running south. I whispered at faint good-bye and turned back to my new family.

"Well Bella, shall we take you hunting?" Emmett asked me as he pulled me into another one of his big bear hugs.


	34. First Hunt

**A/N: Thank you all for your patience. It has been a very hectic and crazy week for me. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I've been debating with family members about exactly what type of "talent" Bella should have. I have been going back and forth on exactly how to put those thoughts into words, and I hope you all enjoy then end results. The only way I will know for sure is if you read and review. I'm hoping I get up to 185 reviews with this chapter, so let me know your thoughts.**

**DISCLAIMER: Still not her, darn! Still don't own any characters or TWILIGHT, double darn!**

**BPOV**

We began by walking through the forest. Edward held my hand as we walked with his, I mean our, family. He whispered in my ear about how I would need to let my instincts take over when a scent would cross our path. I looked at him with a worried expression on my face. He seemed to know why I was tentative, "Bella, none of us will allow your instincts to take you towards a human. You will be safe with us, but you need to feed."

I sighed loudly as I looked back at him. "I still don't know how I'm going to make myself drink blood. I mean, I could barely stand the sight or smell of it before. How am I going to react to it now?" I put that question out for anyone to answer. I was really worried that I would be a freak as a vampire, considering that for the longest time I considered myself a freak as a human.

"Bella, I think there are quite a few of us that are wondering exactly how different you are going to be, now that you are changed. You were different as a human, which means you will most definitely be a little different as a vampire. However, I don't think you need to worry about that just yet. Just know that we are all here to help you. We will keep you, and others, safe during this and every other hunt." Carlisle spoke to me as we continued walking.

I took a deep breath as I thought about how lucky I was to be surrounded by a family that not only wanted me to be a part of them, but were willing to do whatever necessary to keep me safe and from hurting anyone else. As I was about to breathe out, I caught the scent of iron and rust. My mouth immediately began to pool with sweet venom. My throat became even scratchier if that was even possible. My stomach however started to feel a little queasy.

Edward noticed my face, which had almost frozen in horror. "Bella, are you all right?" He wrapped me in his arms as he studied my face, waiting for a response.

"I smell blood, but it's making my stomach turn. I don't feel lightheaded, but I still feel like I'm going to be sick." I looked up at him and half expected him to start laughing. Instead, he reached down and took hold of both my hands as he led me closer to the source of the scent.

Emmett and Jasper stood on either sides of us as Alice, Rose, Esme, and Carlisle followed closely behind. We silently walked over towards a small clearing where a stream had created a shallow pond. There was a family of four deer there drinking. I watched with Edward as Emmett and Jasper silently crouched down, looking silent but deadly. If I still had my human vision I would have missed it, but both Jasper and Emmett sprang from where they were crouched and landed with a sickening thud on two of the deer, instantly breaking their necks. I could hear the snap from our side of the clearing. The two other animals sprang into the forest away from the oncoming predators, us.

Edward began pulling me closer to where the two animals were held under Emmett and Jasper's strong arms. My feet felt heavier as we came closer to the dying animals. My stomach felt as if I were dropping lead weights into it with each step. I became more and more nauseated by the scent of the blood slowly moving through the deer. Edward pulled me down so I was sitting to the side of one of the animals. My lower lip began to quiver with nerves and repulsion. I didn't want these creatures to die at my lips. I knew I would need to feed, but I figured if I told myself I wasn't hungry, I could convince my body to believe it.

Edward was telling me what to do, how to let go and give myself over to my instincts. I was barely listening. Instead I was talking to myself in my head. _"You are not hungry Bella. You are not hungry Bella. You are not hungry Bella…" _I kept repeating the mantra over and over again hoping it would calm my frazzled nerves. Suddenly, Edward stopped talking and everyone stared at me. I felt the ache in my throat ease and a sudden calm came over me.

"Bella, what did you just do?" Carlisle asked me calmly.

I turned towards Carlisle and gave him a questioning look. "I didn't do anything. I was just trying to calm my nerves and tell myself that I wasn't hungry?" It sounded like a question, not a statement. I looked around at the family and they all looked as puzzled as I was. Carlisle started laughing and Alice began bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I think you have an extraordinary gift and power, Bella. I think I have a good idea what it is, but let's see. I want you to try something. Come with me." He turned back to Emmett and Jasper and asked them to fill a thermos with some of the animals' blood. They looked unsure about his request but I could see them following the directions as I walked away with Carlisle. Edward started to follow us, but Carlisle told him that he wanted to speak with me privately. Edward didn't look happy about it, but reluctantly agreed and returned to the rest of his family by the pond.

"Bella, have you ever heard the phrase _"mind over matter"_?" he asked me.

"Of course. My mother used to tell me that all the time when I would have to go into a hospital and visit relatives and I was afraid of passing out from the smell of blood. It never worked, but it was a nice thought," I told him. "Why do you ask, Carlisle?"

"I think that as a human, you were safe within your mind. That's why Edward cannot hear your thoughts. I have a hunch that other vampires with powers would have the same result as Edward, and you would be unaffected by their powers because you are safe within your own mind. Today, you were trying to calm yourself by telling yourself you weren't hungry. Did it help you?"

"Actually, yes. I calmed down, but I assumed that was Jasper."

"Are you thirsty now? Does your throat feel scratchy or sore?"

I was silent for a moment or two and realized that the ache in my throat had pretty much disappeared. "Oh my God! Are you telling me that I was able to make myself "not thirsty" just by saying to myself that I'm not hungry?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Now, I know you think that you can help yourself by just making yourself not thirsty, but you will need to feed, or you will wither away and be too weak for anything. I know Edward and the rest of us will not let that happen, but you need to know that vampires do need to feed. It's just the way it is. I want to try an experiment. I want you to tell yourself that the thermos that Emmett and Jasper have just filled is really something else. I want you to pretend it's your favorite milkshake or something, anything you loved the taste of. Okay?"

I looked at him in disbelief. I was about to object when he interrupted me. "Let your mind believe it Bella. You need to let your brain convince the rest of your body. I know you are unsure, but have confidence in this. In time we will have the opportunities to test your ability to see if you can convince others and not just yourself of things. Remember mind over matter." I let out the breath that I didn't realize I was holding and walked with him back to where the others were standing.

As I walked, I kept telling myself, _"It's just a chocolate milkshake. It's just a chocolate milkshake. It's just a chocolate milkshake…"_ I kept repeating the mantra in my head as I knelt down to where the deer were. I took a deep breath and repeated the thought over once more. _It's just a chocolate milkshake._ I opened the thermos and brought it to my lips quickly. I took a large gulp quickly and was surprised when I could taste the sweetness of chocolate. I no longer smelled the iron or rust. I smelled milk chocolate and it made my mouth water. I eagerly brought the thermos to my lips and downed the remaining contents thinking about how it was the best chocolate milkshake I had ever tasted. I looked up at Carlisle and he looked back at me. "Well, how was it?"

"It tasted like the sweetest chocolate I've ever had." I grinned and began giggling when I saw the rest of the family looking at me like I was crazy. Edward started smiling when he saw the happiness all over my face. I wiped my lips of any remain blood and stood up quickly. I raced to where Carlisle stood and gave him a large hug as I giggled. This caused Carlisle to start laughing lightly.

It was Emmett who broke up our laughing fit. "What's going on. Did Bella lose it or something? I don't get it."

Carlisle quickly explained what had happened and I explained my experiences with them. We quickly returned toward the house and Edward quickly wrapped me in his arms. "I always knew you were a uniquely beautiful creature," he whispered in my ear as we walked back, our hands entwined. I smiled up as him and realized exactly how lucky I was to have his love and the love and support of his entire family. I could certainly get used to being a part of this group of phenomenal people.

I kept thinking about how Carlisle had told me about testing my powers later. I wondered if I would have an effect on other people or vampires. I would certainly be interesting. I may just have to try some things out on Edward later.

**A/N: Want to know whether Bella has some control of others, including Edward?? You need to review and let me know your thoughts.**

**Thanks all.**


	35. Mind over Man er, Matter

**A/N: Okay everyone! I'm really glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. And I love reading those comments, I'm going for 200 reviews for this chapter. That's just 25 more reviews. I'd love to hear what you all think, so please take the time to send me a quick review. I'd really appreciate it.**

**A special thanks to MARI ALICE for her idea. I ended up rewriting a lot of this chapter because she gave me a really great idea and I was able to expand on it. THANK YOU!!**

**DISCLAIMER: you know the drill by now, right?!**

**BPOV**

Edward and I walked slowly back to the house. I knew he wanted to question me as to exactly what had happened during my first hunt. I started at the beginning and explained how I was getting scared and nervous. I explained what I did when I had walked towards the deer the first time. I had originally thought that Jasper was trying to calm me down, but realized that I had done that myself. I told him everything Carlisle had told me. I explained what I had done to make me forget I was drinking blood and ended the story with how Emmett had made me break down laughing because of his confused look stuck on his face.

Edward and I were giggling quietly by the time we returned home. I had some ideas in my head about how I could test my ability and wanted to use Edward as my test subject. I was thankful once again that Edward couldn't read my thoughts. I kissed him suggestively and pulled him up the stairs after we got into the house. We reached Edward's door within seconds and went inside, locking the door behind us. I began to put my plan into action.

I could see his eyes were dark with desire as he looked at me. This was going to be hard to keep my naughty thoughts out of my brain for a little while. I started thinking about making Edward want to take a shower. _"Edward wants to take a shower. Edward wants to take a shower. Edward wants to take a shower…"_ I continued to gaze at Edward as I continued speaking the mantra in my head. Suddenly, Edward's eyes left my body and looked over towards his bathroom door. He was confused for a second and then bent down to kiss me.

"Love, I need to take a shower. Will you hate me if I do that now?" he whispered into my ear.

I could hardly hide my smile and almost burst out laughing. It was obvious that seconds ago he had no intention of taking a shower. This power was working on Edward, I think. "Of course, I won't be mad. I have some things to think about, so go ahead. I'll just sit here on the couch and try to figure out what to do next." I kissed his cheek before he left to take his shower. I heard the water turn on and started laughing at how I just kept us from making love without having to use the old "honey I have a headache" excuse.

I decided I wanted to try something else on Edward when he came out of the shower. I knew I would have to make him do something totally uncharacteristic to make this theory plausible. I started thinking of something to make Edward do. I knew he liked music, but I wonder if I could get Edward to break dance… I guess there is really only one way to find out. I went to Edward's stereo and found some music that would be appropriate for break dancing. I put the CD in and grabbed the remote. I waited until I heard the water shut off in the shower.

I turned on the stereo so that the music was just filling up the room. I waited a minute, turned the music up a little, and then began thinking to myself, _"Edward wants to break dance… Edward wants to break dance… Edward wants to break dance…"_ I heard the door to the bathroom open and watched as Edward walked across the room with a confused expression on his face. He looked confused as he bent down towards the floor and began break dancing in front of me. I don't know if it was the actual dancing or Edward's face as he was trying to figure out what was going on, but I stopped repeating the mantra and burst out laughing. Edward stopped dancing the moment I stopped speaking the mantra in my head.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that, er performance. I don't know what's going on. I had no desire to take a shower until suddenly, I had to take a shower. Then just now, I start break dancing and I have no idea where that came from. I've never done it before or wanted to do it before." He looked almost lost as he watched me laugh myself right off the couch and onto the floor. It took a few minutes before I was able to collect myself and stop laughing.

"Edward, I'm sooo sorry, but I just had to test my ability." I broke off into another fit of laughter when I thought of how I had successfully tested the ability on him. After calming down I explained to him what I had done. He looked a little upset at first, but suddenly was laughing along with me. When we had stopped laughing I continued to talk to him, "I hope you're not mad with me. I promise to make it up to you later." I nodded towards the bed so he knew I wanted to see exactly how he would act now that I wasn't so breakable.

"Edward, I have an idea. I may need your help, but I want to test my ability on the others. Besides, Emmett deserves to have a practical joke played on him and it might be fun to pull one over on Alice as well."

He grinned at me before reaching down to nuzzle the skin along my collarbone. "You are the most dangerous creature I've ever met. What's you plan?" I whispered my plan to him and soon we were heading down to the living room.

When we got to the living room I could see Jasper and Emmett playing video games while Rose and Alice were gossiping and reading fashion magazines on the couch. Esme and Carlisle were talking quietly on a loveseat near the others. I looked up at Edward and he nodded to me as he held my hand. I decided to start with Alice. She would be the hardest to trick. I started thinking to myself, _"Alice wants to wear an outfit of Jasper's… Alice wants to wear an outfit of Jasper's… Alice wants to wear an outfit of Jasper's.."_

Suddenly, Alice sat up and shut her magazine. She race up the stairs past where Edward and I were standing. I kept reciting the phrase in my head and suddenly Rose was shouting out. "ALICE!! What in the world are you wearing?"

Alice was standing on the steps above us in one of Jasper's long sweaters and pants. Because of the height difference she was swimming in the clothes. She had the same confused look on her face as Edward did. I looked over at Edward and he kept me from laughing so I could keep this up. Alice began talking to the rest of us as she walked down the steps. "I just figured I would change, and Jasper's clothes always look so good on him…I don't think it has the same effect on me though. I still want to wear them though."

That last comment sent me over the edge and I started laughing with the rest of the Cullens. Alice looked a little confused still but was trying to figure out what was going on. Before she got an explanation I wanted to get even with Emmett for all the jokes I'm sure he would pull on me in the future. _"Emmett wants to dance around as a ballerina… Emmett wants to dance around as a ballerina… Emmett wants to dance around as a ballerina…"_ Jasper and Emmett were in the middle of a heated video game when Emmett stood up and dropped his controller. The same confused expression was on his face as he started leaping across the living room, dodging furniture and vampires as he leapt and twirled around the room. He began doing some stretching exercises along the wall before I lost it and started laughing.

"What the… What was that?" Emmett's loud voice only made me laugh harder.

Carlisle spoke up. "I see Bella has learned whether her talent works on others tonight. Are you having fun Bella?"

I was still laughing and could only reply by nodding my head. All the Cullens gathered around Edward and I as Edward was forced to explain what had happened, including what I had told myself out in the forest, as I tried to stop laughing. Alice and Emmett were pretty good sports about what I had done. They were even laughing when Edward explained what I had done to him upstairs.

When I finally got my laughing controlled, I turned to Jasper. "Jasper, this means you and I can help each other control our impulses together. If you can help keep me calm I can keep saying things like 'Bella and Jasper will not attack the humans' or something like that. He smiled at me and reached over to give me my second hug from him. I smiled back at him hoping he would see that it meant a lot to me to have a hug from him.

We sat around and talked with one another for a while as a family for the first time. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone. I was happy and felt like I truly fit in with them. It was one of the first time that I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

After an hour of talking I looked over at Edward when I had noticed he was quiet for longer than usual. "Edward, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. If you all don't mind, I'd like to speak to Bella alone. We'll see you all later." He lifted me up and carried us up to his room. I figured he was just hoping to let me make up for my trick on him from earlier, so I began kissing and playfully licking his neck. He set me down on the couch and took a large step back. I was confused and about to stand and close the gap between us when he held up a hand, motioning me to stop. I waited for him and after a few moments of silence he finally spoke.

"Bella, I need you to know something, something important." He crossed the room and looked out the large windows facing the back of the house.

"Edward, what is it? Did I do something to upset you? Do you want me to leave?" I looked up at him, scared that he no longer wanted me around.

He spun quickly and looked scared. "Oh my God, Bella, no. I'm not upset with you, and there's no way that I'm letting you leave. I'm keeping you with me forever. It's just that there's something you need to know."

I waited for him to continue. He walked over to his bed and sat. He reached into the bedside table and pulled something from inside it. I couldn't see what it was, but I could hear him breathing and gave him a minute more. Just as I was about to speak, he continued on. "Bella, when you were still changing, I spoke with Jacob. We talked for a long time. I made a promise to him, that I would always take care of you and make you happy." He walked over to the couch and stood before me. He knelt down so his eyes were level with mine. "Bella, I will keep that promise, if that's what you want. If you want me to take care of you and spend my life making you happy, then that's what I'm going to do."

"Edward, I want nothing more than to be with you forever." I was about to bend down and kiss him when he began speaking again.

"Bella, I have given you my heart. If it could beat, it would beat only for you. When I'm with you I feel like my heart if almost beating and filling my body with the love I feel for you. You have my soul. I have thought about this for the last seven years, and without you, my existence isn't much of an existence. It's like I'm a shell. Without you in my life, I'm worthless. I can walk and talk, but there isn't anything going on inside. You are the puzzle piece that my life was missing. You are my soul mate and when I'm with you, I'm whole. I'm so thankful you came into my life. The other night, when I took you to the cottage, I was able to share another part of me with you. I gave you my body. It belongs to you and only you. You are the only one I want to share that with. The other night was the most perfect night of my existence and I hope that you will never forget that memory. There is one thing left that I can give you, and that's my name. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me and spend the rest of eternity as my wife?"

I looked at him completely shocked. This perfect man had just told me that I held his heart, soul, and body. Now he wanted to marry me and spend eternity with me, making me happy. What did I do to ever deserve this. I looked up into his eyes and all I could see was the love he was feeling for me. I smiled at him as I nodded my head and whispered into his ear. "I want nothing more than to walk side by side with you for eternity."

I kissed him as he placed a beautiful, old-fashioned engagement ring onto my left hand. He lifted me up into his arms and began kissing me with a burning desire that matched nothing else I have ever felt.

**A/N: Lemon next chapter, but i'm not posting it until I get to 200 reviews. Please take the time to send one. It's the little "go" button on the left. Thanks!**


	36. Hey Baby, Let's Go to Vegas

**A/N: hello everyone! I hope you are all having a productive and nice week. I think this chapter is going to make many of you happy. I will have pictures of everything (outfits) up on my profile for those of you who are wanting to see them. I want to thank all of you who have reviewed the story. Seeing all those emails were amazing to me. I'm gonna post this chapter early, even though I didn't get my 200 reviews yet, but I think you'll appreciate it. I'm hoping to get to 210 reviews for this chapter, so it's up to you when I update. I have the rest of the story typed and finished, but I'm gonna wait until you all send in the reviews, that way I can change/add/delete things if need be.**

**Anyway, on with the story.**

**DISCLAIMER: My name is Lisa, not Stephenie… Therefore, I own none of these characters or the TWILIGHT series… I guess it's a good thing that I have another job then.**

**EPOV**

I cannot believe she said yes! Bella Swan actually wants to spend the rest of our lives with me. I am in heaven. I never thought I'd get there, but she has taken me there and made me feel complete. I wonder how soon I can get her to marry me…

**BPOV**

I cannot believe this is actually happening. I cannot believe Edward actually asked me to marry him. It was the most romantic proposal I've ever heard. Even Jacob didn't do as well when it came to getting those words out. Edward was perfect, and he really wanted me to be with him forever. I felt so lucky, like I was finally in my own personal heaven with loving people surrounding me. His mouth was on mine, and like everything else he did, it was perfect. I wanted desperately to make up for teasing him earlier. I wanted to be with him forever. Edward was walking us across the room as he continued to kiss me. I felt complete and allowed myself to melt into him. This was turning out to be the most perfect night.

**APOV**

"OH MY GOD!" I shrieked. "Everyone, Edward just asked Bella to marry him and she said yes! We have to go congratulate the happy couple." I stood up and was up the first flight of steps before anyone else had moved. I hope they don't mind that I just spoiled their surprise…

**EPOV**

I had just set Bella on my bed. We had been kissing passionately for a few minutes when Alice burst into the room. Why didn't I lock the door? I thought to myself. I laid my head on Bella's chest in disappointment as the rest of the family joined Alice inside my bedroom. So much for being with Bella alone tonight. Oh well, I guess with Alice around they were bound to find out about the engagement one way or another tonight.

"Congratulations you two!" Alice bounced on the bed and sat beside Bella. She was practically bouncing up and down beside us. I sat up and removed myself from beside Bella. I was instantly pulled into a bear hug by Emmett. If I had been human, he would have crushed at least three or four of my ribs and suffocated me. When he released me, I walked over to where Esme and Carlisle were standing. They both pulled me into a hug and congratulated me.

"I just knew that someday you would find the happiness you deserve, son. Don't let her get away from you again. She's your other half." Esme spoke the truest words I've ever heard. I knew she had a lot of wisdom and was known to share it, but hearing those words come from her made me even happier. They really did consider Bella a part of our happy family, even after all these years.

Jasper shook my hand and I could tell he was sensing my happiness. He smiled and looked over to where I had left Bella and Alice sitting. Rose had joined them on the bed and they were discussing planning a wedding and Alice was desperately trying to convince Bella to let her plan the entire affair.

"I don't think that's going to work, Alice. You see, I'm sure in the next day or two, Charlie is going to be hosting my funeral, so I can't just be getting married here. Besides, in my humble opinion, Edward and I have waited long enough, I don't want to wait any longer. I was thinking that he and I could go to Vegas and get married right away."

Alice looked like she was going to pout over not planning a wedding when Bella spoke again. "Of course, I will need to go shopping for the most perfect wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses. I just hope that it's okay with you guys if we keep this wedding small. I know my power will allow me to not attack humans, I hope anyways, but I don't want to push it."

"Oh my God! Bella, I have the perfect idea for a dress. And Rose and I will make sure you look absolutely perfect for your day." Rose and her smiled over at Bella as I reached over and held her hand. I was surprised to see that Rose was genuinely happy to have Bella joining our family.

I turned to the rest of my family. "So are you guys up for a road trip to Vegas? We'd love to have every one of you there for the wedding." I leaned down to kiss Bella's cheek as our family nodded and ran out of the room to pack.

Esme agreed to go get us a flight out tonight or very early in the morning. Carlisle was going to call the hospital and book us hotel rooms. Alice and Rose left the room discussing which style of dress they would look best in and which dress they should get Bella. Jasper and Emmett were deciding how to through a bachelor's party in Vegas and, of course, Rose caught up to them in time to smack Emmett on the back of his head after he made an inappropriate suggestion.

Soon, Bella and I were left alone in our room once again. "So Mr. Cullen… do you mind going to Vegas? I know you probably wanted this to be, I don't know, traditional, but I just don't see how that would be possible here in Forks."

"Bella, love, I don't care how we do it, I just want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of eternity making you happy and being happy with you. If that starts with us getting married in Vegas, then, I don't know why we are sitting her talking when we should be packing. I love you, Isabella." I kissed her deeply so she would know that I really did mean what I had said. I wanted her to feel one hundred percent sure of this decision.

"I love you Edward Mason Cullen. I will love you until forever." She returned my kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her. We continued to cuddle and kiss for a few minutes and then we grabbed some clothing. Bella didn't have anything to pack, as all of her things were still at Charlie's, but Alice would take care of her as soon as we got to Vegas. We walked down to the family room and noticed everyone else was ready to go.

"Our flight leaves in three hours. We have enough time to get to the airport if we leave now. Is everyone ready?" Carlisle spoke.

After a chorus of yeses, we all were out the door. The family piled into Emmett's jeep as Bella and I got into my Volvo. We drove to the airport as only Cullens do. We managed to cut the three hour drive in half and got to Seattle with plenty of time to get through security. We made it to the gate. I noticed the determination on Bella's face as she walked through the terminal. I could only imagine what phrase she was telling herself. I caught her eye and smiled at her. She smiled back and relaxed a little.

Soon it was time to board the plane. Esme had reserved practically the entire first class cabin and I was surprised when Bella didn't say a word about it. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just have to keep telling myself that I'm not going to be hungry or kill anyone." She looked over at me and kissed my lips with fervent passion. Our time together was interrupted quickly by Rose and Alice as they pulled Bella away from me and began showing her pictures of bridal dresses from a stack of magazines. Jasper and Emmett came over to where I was and sat near me. They both talked about catching a few shows as my bachelor's party. They both went on and on about the possibilities in Vegas, and I would continue to look up hoping to catch Bella's eyes. Bella would look over at me every once in a while, and she truly looked happy each time her eyes met my own.

When our plane began its descent into Vegas, Bella returned to her seat beside me. "Alice says she's going to steal me away from you the moment we land. I guess we have a whole lot of shopping to get done. I guess I'll see you tonight at the wedding. I love you and I'm going to miss you so much."

I kissed Bella on her neck, cheek, and finally her lips. I made the last kiss last, hoping it was something that would get us both through the day. It was going to be a long 16 hours until I saw Bella walking towards me to become my wife, but I couldn't wait.

**BPOV**

Alice kept her promise and quickly whisked me away from Edward the moment the doors to the plane were open. She had us into a rental car and driving towards a bridal store before I had the time to catch my breath. She pulled into the parking lot in front of an expensive looking store and pulled me out of the car.

"Alice, I can walk on my own you know. Now that I'm like you, I'm not so clumsy anymore." She started laughing and continued to pull me along beside her and Rose as we entered the store. The let me go after a few feet and began pulling dresses down and over the arms of three store employees. I figured there was still no use in arguing with Alice so I sat down near the dressing room and waited until they were ready for me to start trying on gowns. I wondered exactly how long it would take before they just decided to have me try on every dress in the store.

After about five minutes, the first sales girl was pulling me towards the dressing room to start on the first arm load of dresses to try on. The first gown was a princess-style gown with a full skirt. (**A/N: all dresses are on** **my profile**) There was a little but of sparkles and a lot of lace. As soon as I came out of the dressing room Alice began circling me and decided it wasn't right. I was pushed back into the dressing room and removed the dress from my body quickly. The next gown had another full skirt, but was an A-line skirt instead of a ball gown style. I had beading along the bodice and was exquisite. I loved it, but hey, I did give Alice free reign on planning this wedding. I walked out of the dressing room and stopped in front of the girls. They looked me over and Alice decided the dress was a "definite maybe" before sending me back to the dressing room to switch dresses again.

The third dress was pink. I looked at it in confusion, but tried it on anyway. I had crystals all over the bodice and the skirt was ruched. This had a longer train than the others, so I carefully stepped out to show Alice. I had to admit that the dress looked pretty gorgeous. Alice barely saw me before she said that the dress wasn't going to work for the ceremony. I shrugged my shoulders and the sales girls began laughing. They had to be thinking I was the most easy-going bride ever, because I didn't fuss once over all the dresses they were putting me into.

The next dress I tried on was short and very pretty. I was surprised Alice was considering something so simple, but then again, Alice's visions were in a league all their own. I came out and again got another "definite maybe" verdict on the dress. I was definitely getting my exercise by going to and from the dressing room.

I tried on a halter style dress next. It was lace all over and hung well against my new vamped body. I even had the cleavage to pull it off now. Alice wasn't convinced though and sent me right back to change. The last dress to try on was another strapless gown. It had rhinestones along the top and a ruched skirt. There was a chapel length train and was absolutely gorgeous. As soon as I zipped up the back, I knew that it was the perfect dress. I would fight Alice for this dress, I figured I would be able to take her now.

I came out of the dressing room and everyone gasped when they saw me. Alice looked like she was going to bounce right out of the store. She ran over and hugged me. "Bella, this is perfect. You look just like I knew you should look on your wedding day. Do you like it?"

I think I would have been crying if I still could. "Yes, Alice. It's perfect. I felt it as soon as I stepping into the dress. This is the winner. Now we just have to get you ladies your dresses." I hugged both Alice and Rose before they went into the other dressing rooms to begin changing. I stood before the mirrors for a few moments, taking in the sight of me in this gown. It was perfect and I hoped that Edward was going to love it.

Alice and Rose came out before I could get back into my dressing room wearing matching blue tea-length strapless dresses. They were soft, chiffon dresses and as soon as they came over to stand beside me, we knew they were the perfect dresses. We all returned to our dressing rooms and the sales girls all quickly gathered the winning dresses up to put into garment bags for us. They would be delivered to the hotel so we could change before the ceremony. We paid for the gowns quickly and went into our second store. Alice thought I should have a tiara because she said I was Edward always said I was his princess, and "every princess deserves a tiara." I didn't argue, mainly because I was so happy thinking about my prince waiting for me. We got a cute little tiara with blue rhinestones in it that would match the bridesmaids dresses perfectly. We also got a matching necklaces and bracelets. I thought it really made us all like sisters that way, and I would have been sobbing if I could.

We then went to get what Alice called "sexy wedding lingerie". We walked into Victoria Secret and began looking for garments to go underneath our dresses. Rose and Alice both got matching corsets and panties and then turned their attention to me. They both went through the racks of white lingerie until the came across a few choices. In the end we settled on a simple corset and panty set that looked really pretty. Alice kept telling me with a wink that Edward would love it. I stifled a lot of giggles throughout the day. Rose insisted on getting a bunch of other pieces of lingerie before we left. She kept reminding me that I would be going on some sort of honeymoon soon and would need them. I bought quite a few pieces before we were able to leave the store.

Alice must have known that I didn't have any clothes with me, so she took me shopping and bought me a whole new wardrobe. It wasn't long before Alice was having all of our things taken back to the hotel so we could get our nails and hair done. The only shopping bag left with us was the one with the tiara in it. After a couple of hours of getting "glammed up", we were returning back to the hotel to get dressed. I couldn't wait. There was only a couple hours left until I would be married to the most incredible man I've ever met.

**A/N: Wedding and wedding night will be next. Remember, I'm only going to post when I get up to 210 reviews. I know I promised the lemon for this chapter, but this was going to be a massive chapter and I figured you would all enjoy having another chapter to look forward to.**


	37. The Wedding

**A/N: Thank you to all of you that took the time to send me a review. I really appreciate it. It helps me fix any mistakes you guys catch that I miss. I am thrilled that all of you enjoyed the pictures and the preparation chapter. I really am looking forward to wrapping this story up and getting started on my new story. I actually got another decent idea for a third story, so who knows, maybe I can combine the two and make an even more wicked story. **

**Anyway, there are only a few chapters left, so I hope that you will enjoy these. Please look for my new story sometime next week.**

**DISCLAIMER: If you haven't memorized this yet, well…. Hmmm… I'm not going to say anything mean. **

**EPOV**

I watched as my sisters stole my fiancé away from me. She looked back at me once with slightly sad eyes and then turned back to my sisters as she walked with them to purchase things for the wedding. I stared after her for a moment before Emmett and Jasper pulled my attention back to the tasks we were left to do. Carlisle and Esme went to the hotel to check in all of us. Before they left, the assured me that the ballroom would be reserved for us to use as the wedding location. They were also going to secure a pastor to perform the ceremony while the boys and I went shopping for tuxedoes and a wedding present for my bride.

Our first task was to get our tuxes. We arrived at a small shop to purchase our suits when I received a text message and a picture of what I assumed to be the bridesmaids dresses from Alice.

_Edward:_

_When you are shopping for the suits_

_Get blue accents._

_You will look perfect with all of us. _

_Don't worry, I won't tell Bella where the wedding will be._

_Love,_

_Alice_

I smiled at the thought of how Alice knew just how to take care of everything for this ceremony even when she wasn't around to monitor all of the aspects. I turned to the tailor and told him we would be needing blue accents to the suits. I wanted all black and white, but Emmet and Jasper would be getting blue vests that would match Rosalie and Alice's dresses.

Our next stop was at a florist. We were able to secure enough flowers for the wedding. I chose white and blue roses accented with babies breath. The florist would deliver and set up the flowers for the wedding. We were about to leave when I got the idea to send flowers to Bella's room for her to see before the ceremony.

Carlisle had already called us to let us know that we would be using the ballroom and that they were going to have the chefs create a fabulous meal for any of the hotel guests that chose to "crash the party". They were also going to make sure the ballroom was decorated and that the music would be taken care of. Apparently, Alice had made sure that the CD of my compositions was packed and one of my newer creations inspired by Bella would be used as our first dance.

Next, Emmett, Jasper, and I went towards a jewelry store to find a gift for Bella. It didn't take long before Jasper and Emmett found a beautiful sapphire and diamond necklace and earring set for their wives. I smiled when I thought of how much my brothers loved their wives even after the many decades they have been together. I could only hope that Bella and I shared that same type of love for the rest of eternity. I began to imagine all the places and things that Bella and I would be able to see during our life together.

As I was fantasizing about the many things we would do and see I was pulled out of the thoughts by Emmett's loud thoughts. _I think Edward's thinking about his wedding night. I wonder if he and Bella will break the furniture in the honeymoon suite tonight?_

I growled at Emmett and he, in turn, smirked at me. I was about to smack him in the chest when a beautiful diamond necklace caught my attention. I had two hearts together that would form the symbol for infinity. I knew that this was the perfect gift for Bella. It would show her that I would love her for the rest of our existences. I quickly made my purchase and we headed out the door. **(A/N: picture of necklace on my profile)**

We walked down the strip to find a photographer for tonight's ceremony and reception. We found a credible photographer who was willing to work tonight, despite the short notice. We paid him quickly, and then I turned to my brothers who both had sly smirks on their faces. They were grinning like children who had a secret and before I knew what was happening, they were dragging me out the door. I tried in vain to escape their clutches, but they held me tightly and never let me go until we were at a theater. Once inside, I noticed that we were not at a show, we were at a casino.

_Listen, Edward. We just figured we'd have some fun here before you get married. You know, play some cards. With your ability, you should be able to win at poker easily._ Emmett looked over at me with hope in his eyes. I chuckled at how childish he could act some days. Jasper even looked eager to test out the gambling here in Vegas. "Fine you two. But I'm not going to use my ability to win you money. You want to gamble, you have to do it just like other people do."

This seemed to work for both of my brothers and their demeanors both turned a little carefree as we spent the afternoon in the casino. I watched as they spent a little time at the different games. I stood back and watched, listening to the many people around us as they played different games hoping to win. After a few hours, I rounded up my brothers and we headed back to the hotel. I knew it would sound cliché, but I wanted to set up the honeymoon suite with rose petals and candles. I wanted tonight, our wedding night, to be perfect for both Bella and me.

We walked through to doorway of the hotel and saw the many workers running around setting up for the wedding. I was still amazed that this event was coming together and that in just a couple hours, Bella would be walking towards me to become my wife. Emmett and Jasper steered me over to the elevators and we rode up to get showered, dressed and ready for the ceremony.

**BPOV**

Alice led me back through the doors of the hotel. As soon as we got into the lobby, I noticed all of the workers running around with flowers, chairs, and wedding decorations. I probably would have started crying if I could have because everything was just beautiful and perfect. Alice noticed my reaction and pulled me towards the elevators. We rode up to our rooms while Alice was going over the many details of the wedding that she would share. She assured me that I would be surprised by many things, but everything that she was telling me only made me smile harder.

We got up to the room and Alice and Rose set me in front of the bathroom mirror so they could do my makeup. I sat patiently while they chose colors that would compliment my new features and look perfect for pictures. They finished after about an hour, but refused to let me look in the mirror. They ushered me to the other room where our dresses were hung. A dozen roses also sat in a large vase at the center of the room. Edward had sent them up earlier this afternoon. Rose and Alice got dressed first and then helped me into my dress. After I was zipped up there was a knock on the door.

Jasper stood at the door with a small, black velvet box in his hand. He entered the room and placed a quick kiss on Alice's cheek. Rose and I smiled at one another. He handed the box to Alice and she giggled as she opened the jewelry box. She gave Jasper a huge kiss when she saw the jewelry and hurriedly put on the beautiful sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings. Jasper whispered something in her ear and quickly left. He smiled at Rose and me as he left the room. I was about to step in front of the mirror when another knock interrupted my walk there. Emmett stood at the doorway this time with an identical velvet box. Rose giggled and unwrapped her gift, also putting it on and receiving a kiss from her husband. When she closed the door, she helped me over to the mirror and I took a deep breath as Alice began to turn the mirror to face me. Another quick knock on the door stopped me again.

"Good grief. Now what?" I exclaimed.

Alice walked over to the door and Emmett and Jasper stood in the doorway once again. "Bella, Edward sent us in here with your wedding gift. This time they held another velvet box and handed it to me. I smiled shyly and opened the jewelry box to reveal a beautiful diamond necklace. I smiled and pulled the necklace out of the box. It was an infinity symbol created by two hearts. Edward thought of everything, and I couldn't be any happier to be getting married.

Finally, I walked back to the mirror and was allowed to look at myself. I felt ready to head downstairs. I laughed as Alice explained that we would travel down to the second floor on the elevator and then walk down the stairs to the first floor. I was led quickly from the room and helped by Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose into an elevator. We rode in happy silence. It would only be a few more moments until we were officially family.

I could hear music being played when we reached the landing at the top of the stairs. Two employees rushed towards us carrying bouquets for Alice, Rose and myself. The flowers were perfect shades of white and blue to match the rest of the wedding attire. Emmett and Rose took each others' arms and walked gracefully down the steps to music that I recognized as Edward's compositions. Alice took Jasper's arm and they followed the other couple down the steps. I took a deep breath and waited until Alice and Jasper had reached the bottom of the steps before beginning my descent. I walked slowly and kept thinking to myself how happy and lucky I was to be marrying my prince.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, I could see Edward and my siblings standing at the far end of the ballroom. Edward saw me and gave me my favorite crooked grin as I began walking towards him. I mouthed "_I love you_" to him and he returned the phrase to me. I could see other hotel guests sitting in the large room snapping pictures of the ceremony. A large cake stood on a table in one corner. Everything was perfect. I reached Edward and took his outstretched hand. I held it tightly as the pastor began speaking, welcoming the guests and our family to our special day. Edward and I opted for traditional vows, and I noticed that his eyes never left mine for the entire ceremony. Finally he was allowed to kiss me after we were named "Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

He lifted me up to reach his lips and gave me the best kiss ever. Every emotion I've ever felt for him was in that kiss. I felt complete for the first time, and I sighed happily as I laid my forehead on his. We smiled giddily at each other while the guests clapped and cheered for us. Carlisle and Esme rushed up to us and hugged us as they offered us their congratulations. We posed for pictures while hotel employees set up a dance floor and guests helped themselves to food. Soon, Edward led me toward the dance floor that was not set up in the center of the room.

A beautiful song was playing and Edward led me around the dance floor for our first official dance. "Do you like this song, love?" Edward asked me.

"I do. It's beautiful. Did you write it Edward?" I stared up into his eyes as he smiled back at me.

"I wrote it for you when you moved to Seattle and I was able to watch you from afar. I tried to create something that was as beautiful for you." He kissed my lips again as the song ended.

Soon, others were dancing around us as the DJ played song after song. I thought back to prom seven years ago. I had never wanted to go, but like tonight, there was nothing in the world quite like dancing with Edward. When we were staring into each others' eyes, there was no one else in the world. We danced the night away, only stopping to smash some cake in each other's faces, throw the bouquet and garter, and hug our family members or thank guests for stopping by. Finally Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear that it was time to head upstairs for our wedding night. I smiled up at him as kissed my hand he was now holding. We walked through the doorway and over towards the elevators. Guests and our family members clapped for us as we got onto the elevator and kissed each other as the doors closed. I was going to spend the night with my husband, the only husband I would have until the end of time.

**Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Review please. Next chapter (the wedding night) at 220 reviews.**

**Almost finished, but a sequel may be in the works. Look for it just in case.**


	38. Our Honeymoon

**A/N: Well everyone, this story is winding down. I'm going to write this chapter and then an epilogue. I hope you have enjoyed the "ride" as much as I have. I cannot believe this project that I started as a way to keep me busy has turned out as well as it has. I'll be posting the epilogue fairly quickly after this chapter. I'll also be keeping the idea of a sequel open and possible in the future. For now, I'm turning my efforts to my second fan fiction. It will be an all human story. Please check it out and let me know what you think of that one as well. **

**(Breaking Dawn is only a few short weeks from hitting the shelves, and I will be busy reading all 758 pages as soon as I can. Hope you are able to get the book on the 2nd.)**

**DISCLAIMER: I wish…. **

**PS: there is a lemon or two in this chapter, so be forewarned. **

**BPOV**

Edward lifted me off my feet as the elevator doors opened on the top floor. His lips never left mine as he carried me to the doorway a few feet from the elevator. He opened the door and carried me bridal style over the threshold and into a beautifully decorated room. Edward's lips released mine so I could take in the beauty of the room. There were read and white candles scattered around the room. These gave off the only light in the room. Among the candles were pink and red rose petals laid in a path to the bathroom and to the massive bed. The bedding on the bed was in red and black satin.

"Edward, it's beautiful. Perfect even." I breathed as I took in the beauty that was surrounding me.

"It is nothing compared to you and your beauty my Bella. I hope you will forgive me for using the cliché of rose petals and candles. You deserve so much more than that. I want to give you everything life has to offer." His eyes were smoldering with love and lust as he spoke.

I crashed my lips into his. "It's wonderful, Edward. There is nothing to forgive. You are too good to me," I told him.

"Now, Bella. You have that backwards. It is you who are too good for me. I don't deserve an angel like you." Even though he had spoken those words to me before, my heart still swelled with love for this man beside me. My husband.

I gently and lovingly grasped his hand and entwined our fingers. He pulled our hands to his mouth and kissed each of my fingers, ending on my ring finger with my wedding band now firmly in place. He led me towards the bathroom where inside the doorway were more candles and a large tub filled with bubbles. He turned to face me and being the true gentleman he is, asked if he could remove my wedding gown. I giggled and nodded, knowing if I was still human I would be blushing.

Edward quickly removed my gown from my body leaving me in my white corset and panties. I mentally made a promise to myself to thank Alice again for helping choose the perfect "under outfit" because the look on Edward's face as he looked over my body was worth it. He wasn't even touching me, but my skin was shivering in anticipation.

I reached over to my love and removed his jacked. My fingers began a new task quickly unbuttoned his shirt as I placed butterfly kisses on his jaw line and neck. I pushed the shirt over his shoulders and left his marble chest exposed to me. He entwined our fingers again and pulled me into a tight embrace. Our arms wrapped around each other as our tongues fought in a passionate battle. Finally, I reached down and unbuckled his pants, letting them fall to the floor. Edward stood before me in his silk boxers. I let my fingers dance along his waistband and just grazing underneath the material of the elastic.

His fingertips began exploring my skin, starting along my collarbone and moving south along my back and sides. He reached behind me and unzipped my corset, letting the garment fall to the floor. His hands cupped me and my body immediately began to react. I could feel my temperature rising with each moment passing as his hands rubbed and touched me.

I reached under his boxers and felt the length of his arousal. As my hands touched his skin, he let out a moan which I caught in my mouth. My lips and his began their dance, occasionally letting our tongues share in the action. His hands cupped me and I knew he could feel my heat through the thin material separating my skin from his. It didn't take long before he was pushing my panties down my thighs. I followed his lead and pushed his boxers down his thighs. We stepped out of our underwear and stood naked before each other.

Edward lifted me off the tile floor and set me into the warm water inside the large tub. I laid back, leaning my head along the side where two towels were set up as a soft pillow. Edward stepped into the water and moved his body so he was hovering over me in the water. I could feel him at my entrance and he looked into my eyes as if he was asking permission. I smiled at him as my hands reached up to pull him closer to me. He entered me and I immediately felt the pleasure spread from my center throughout my body. I could feel a rumble in the back of my throat begin and I realized quickly that I was purring. Edward smiled at me as he created a sensual rhythm. Edward was soon purring with me as our pleasure escalated. I could feel myself getting close to my release and Edward must have sensed it because he began thrusting into me at a faster pace. This new pace was faster than humanly possible and it took only seconds to send me over the edge, bringing Edward with me. Our moans and screams echoed off the tiles in the bathroom.

After we came back down, Edward pulled out of me and stood up. Water began cascading down his body as he pulled me up. We stepped out of the water and used two fluffy towels to dry each other. Edward wrapped me in his arms after he was satisfied I was dry enough and carried me back into the bedroom. He set me down on the bed and turned on the stereo in the corner of the room. The CD he made me those many years ago began playing. My lullaby was the first song, and as he walked back towards me, I didn't think it was possible for me to love anyone else more than I loved Edward.

Edward laid beside on the bed and began aimlessly tracing patterns on my skin. I began purring again and smiled over at my husband. I quickly moved so I was straddling his hips. He looked up at me with love and excitement as I positioned myself above him. His hands trailed up and down my sides occasionally stopping at my chest. I made no movement as his hands wandered around my skin. He moved his hands to my hips and attempted to move me down onto him. I held myself up and he whimpered in protest to my newborn strength. I laughed and lowered myself on him. I rocked my hips and set the pace for this round. It didn't take long before Edward was helping me move at an impossible pace, and once again we were carried away by waves of pleasure.

We spent the night making love all over the room. As dawn approached, we lay tangled in each other's arms. I listened to his breathing and I could almost hear his heart beating within his chest. We spent hours in happy silence just holding one another. I knew we would eventually have to get up and get dressed but for now I was content to just stay in Edward's arms. I would be content staying like this forever.

Eventually we did untangle ourselves and get dressed. I didn't have too many clothes to choose from, but selected a cute little dress that Alice and Rose had picked for me. We waited until the sun had gone down that evening before heading towards the airport. We were going to return to Forks. Edward had explained that we would have to move as a family. I would have been happy to stay in Forks for a while, even if it meant hiding out in the house. I obviously couldn't come out in public seeing how my funeral was tomorrow, but I realized with my power, it would be easy to interact with humans wherever we went. As I boarded the plane back to Washington with my family. I realized that I felt safe and content for one of the first times in my existence. I knew I would be happy and loved no matter where I lived, as long as I was with Edward and the Cullens.

Edward was my soul mate. Most people search forever and are lucky if they find their soul mate. I was truly blessed, because I not only found my soul mate, but I found my home. Although it wasn't totally conventional, I found my home with seven vampires, and I would spend forever showing them how thankful I was to them and hopefully, I could show them all the love I held for them.

Oh, and while I am at it, I will show Edward everyday why I want to spend my life with him.

**Remember to review please. It'll help me to decide whether or not to write a sequel or not.**


	39. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER: Still not her, boy do I wish though…**

**EPILOGUE:**

**BPOV**

_Twenty Years Later:_

_Our family has moved three times since I've been a vampire. After returning to Washington after my wedding, we decided to move to Chicago. I wanted to see where Edward was born and was "reborn". We stayed there for almost ten years. All of us "kids" were enrolled in high school. I was surprised when I found out people were willing to believe me to be a teenager again. And high school really was easier the second time around, especially when I didn't have to go to gym everyday. After high school, we all enrolled at Northwestern and I was able to actually finish my journalism degree. _

_After Chicago, we moved to Boston, where we were able to forego high school and all of us enrolled at Harvard. I chose to get a literature degree this time. Edward studied along side me this time. Currently, we are living in Toronto. This has been a nice change. Edward and I spend our nights out at the theater watching musicals and living in a separate house next door to Carlisle and Esme. Alice and Jasper live on the other side of our parents. Rose and Emmett also a house of their own after they got married again four years ago. Alice and I were bridesmaids and Rose looked, as usual, gorgeous. _

_We are planning on moving again soon. Carlisle just got a teaching position at Dartmouth and all of us are going back to high school. I am almost excited at the prospect of starting over again. I realize that within a few decades, the novelty of school will probably get old, but I still am as content to spend my time with Edward and the rest of the Cullens. I don't let Edward regret changing me, and we make sure we end each day wrapped in each other's arms, waiting to watch the sunrise each morning. Even after all these years, I am still learning new things about my husband, and I love getting to know him more and more each day we have together. _

_My powers got stronger over time and with practice. I was able to make things happen without having to recite a mantra forever. I was able to make things last without reciting anything as well. It definitely came in handy when it came time to give Rose and Emmett their wedding present. Edward and I worked hard to keep our wedding present a secret, which was definitely difficult with Alice around. Edward and I, with the help of Carlisle, were able to perfect my powers over the years. I began reciting a mantra on Rose and Emmett's wedding night. I never told them exactly what I was doing until about two months later. Rose literally screamed and even Alice was never as excited as she was the day she found out. Their little boy, Garrett, will be three in a few months. Rose finally got the family she has been wanting for way too many years. Eventually we will probably have to turn him and make him like us, but we aren't worrying about that just yet._

_I have kept in touch with Jacob over the years. Each time we move I send him our new address and he sends letters, updating me on his family and mine. Charlie has since remarried to Sue Clearwater, and moved to La Push. I was sad to think that I wasn't able to be a part of if, but Jacob made sure to send pictures for me. They are hanging on my family room alongside my wedding pictures. Jacob and Michelle have had three more children, another girl and two boys. Their second daughter was named after me. I was so touched when I received that letter and picture. _

_Jacob and the pack have also gotten a little bored. There haven't been any vampires in the area for twenty years. Jacob has finally started aging, and it looking forward to getting gray hair and a big belly. I thank him in every letter for "attacking me" because without him, I would have never found my family or home. He led me to my future, and for that I am eternally grateful. _

**Hope you all enjoyed this story. I know I enjoyed writing it. Look for my new story very very soon.**


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